Tonight, NBC10 News Philadelphia ran a "cold case" segment on Maria Procopio who has been missing for 6 years. There reall isn't much about her case-
Excerpt form an online article . Bucks County is NE of Philadelphia. Montgomery County is generally N and NW of the city.
Vanished
There are five missing persons from South Philly. The oldest case is the disappearance of Anthony Garcia, who was last seen March 20, 1994.
By Lorraine Gennaro
July 28, 2005
Years after Maria Procopio disappeared Sept. 24, 1999, at age 34, her name turned up scrawled in a Bucks County library book. A trace of the book led to a dead end, though, said Sgt. Tim Cooney of South Detective Division.
From time to time, investigators stumble upon leads in missing persons cases - even ones five years old, said Cooney.
"Every lead that comes in is followed up on," said South Detectives Capt. Joe O'Brien.
Procopio, Anthony Garcia, Richard Petrone Jr., Danielle Imbo and Taneke Daniels are five South Philly residents or former ones police have categorized as missing persons. Garcia, who vanished March 20, 1994, is the oldest case.
"A case stays active until we solve it," said Cooney.
Detectives even go out any time an unidentified body is found in the tri-state area "because you never know," the captain said.
Detectives say missing persons cases are probably the most difficult to investigate.
"In most cases, there is nobody you can talk to. It's not like you're investigating a robbery where you can talk to witnesses and look through the neighborhood and find physical evidence. Usually when people disappear, they don't leave much of a clue behind," the captain said.
Maria Procopio
Last seen: Sept. 24, 1999, by coworkers leaving QVC in West Chester
Maria Procopio's disappearance has generated boxes full of information, said Cooney.
Procopio's sister, Teresa Camino of Delaware, told the Review in January 2000 police had done everything they could to find out what happened to Procopio.
The 34-year-old from the 2400 block of South Opal Street was last seen by coworkers leaving her job at QVC in West Chester.
A short time later, an acquaintance saw her at the Newtown Square Shopping Center at Routes 13 and 252, police said.
Lt. Frank Vanore of Southwest Detective Division was a sergeant in South Detectives' Special Investigations Unit (SIU), who worked the Procopio case along with former SIU Lt. Joe Brooks and Detectives Jim Kearney and Bob Dougherty. Vanore said those involved with the case took it "personally" and he and Kearney "still keep tabs" on things. Camino even occasionally contacts the two investigators.
"It was a job that was absolutely bizarre and then it just dropped out of the news. Something happened with that girl," Vanore said.
A few days after she vanished, Procopio's red Pontiac Sunbird was found in Bridgeport, Montgomery County.
"We need to know who saw her last come out that of car," said Montecalvo.
Three months after Procopio's disappearance, her fiancé, Andrew Thomas, was held for trial on forgery and assault charges in an unrelated matter. Although he agreed to be questioned in Procopio's disappearance, Thomas never fully cooperated with police, said Vanore.
No charges were filed against Thomas. Aside from the young woman's name surfacing in a Bucks County library book, police have no fresh leads.
Excerpt form an online article . Bucks County is NE of Philadelphia. Montgomery County is generally N and NW of the city.
Vanished
There are five missing persons from South Philly. The oldest case is the disappearance of Anthony Garcia, who was last seen March 20, 1994.
By Lorraine Gennaro
July 28, 2005
Years after Maria Procopio disappeared Sept. 24, 1999, at age 34, her name turned up scrawled in a Bucks County library book. A trace of the book led to a dead end, though, said Sgt. Tim Cooney of South Detective Division.
From time to time, investigators stumble upon leads in missing persons cases - even ones five years old, said Cooney.
"Every lead that comes in is followed up on," said South Detectives Capt. Joe O'Brien.
Procopio, Anthony Garcia, Richard Petrone Jr., Danielle Imbo and Taneke Daniels are five South Philly residents or former ones police have categorized as missing persons. Garcia, who vanished March 20, 1994, is the oldest case.
"A case stays active until we solve it," said Cooney.
Detectives even go out any time an unidentified body is found in the tri-state area "because you never know," the captain said.
Detectives say missing persons cases are probably the most difficult to investigate.
"In most cases, there is nobody you can talk to. It's not like you're investigating a robbery where you can talk to witnesses and look through the neighborhood and find physical evidence. Usually when people disappear, they don't leave much of a clue behind," the captain said.
Maria Procopio
Last seen: Sept. 24, 1999, by coworkers leaving QVC in West Chester
Maria Procopio's disappearance has generated boxes full of information, said Cooney.
Procopio's sister, Teresa Camino of Delaware, told the Review in January 2000 police had done everything they could to find out what happened to Procopio.
The 34-year-old from the 2400 block of South Opal Street was last seen by coworkers leaving her job at QVC in West Chester.
A short time later, an acquaintance saw her at the Newtown Square Shopping Center at Routes 13 and 252, police said.
Lt. Frank Vanore of Southwest Detective Division was a sergeant in South Detectives' Special Investigations Unit (SIU), who worked the Procopio case along with former SIU Lt. Joe Brooks and Detectives Jim Kearney and Bob Dougherty. Vanore said those involved with the case took it "personally" and he and Kearney "still keep tabs" on things. Camino even occasionally contacts the two investigators.
"It was a job that was absolutely bizarre and then it just dropped out of the news. Something happened with that girl," Vanore said.
A few days after she vanished, Procopio's red Pontiac Sunbird was found in Bridgeport, Montgomery County.
"We need to know who saw her last come out that of car," said Montecalvo.
Three months after Procopio's disappearance, her fiancé, Andrew Thomas, was held for trial on forgery and assault charges in an unrelated matter. Although he agreed to be questioned in Procopio's disappearance, Thomas never fully cooperated with police, said Vanore.
No charges were filed against Thomas. Aside from the young woman's name surfacing in a Bucks County library book, police have no fresh leads.
