PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: A Philadelphia motorcycle gang member has been convicted of killing a potential Warlocks biker gang member at a cemetery and hiding his body in a crypt in 2017.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, August 8, that Michael DiMauro, 51, who defended himself during the trial, was found guilty of all counts related to the death of David Rossillo Jr, including first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.
Who is Michael DiMauro?
DiMauro, a member of the Warlocks, an illegal motorcycle club, was recently found guilty of murder and other offenses in the murder of Rossillo Jr. Prosecutors said that the two men met in Mount Moriah Cemetery in southwest Philadelphia, where DiMauro shot the 33-year-old man.
Dimauri then bound Rossillo Jr's neck with a rope, and dragged his body to a crypt before dumping it there. The crypt's door was later forced open by an automobile.
DA Larry Krasner stated that DiMauro was charged after two cooperating witnesses implicated him. The jury also reached its decision "after only several hours of deliberation. According to Krasner, the exact cause of the deadly altercation is yet unknown, per Fox News.
Krasner said after the verdict, "Then the crypt was opened, that's when I got a phone call. They had not only found the body of the murder victim they were seeking, but they had found a second murder victim."
What charges does Michael DiMauro face?
According to the DA, DiMauro is expected to be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by Judge Charles Ehrlich in August.
The remains of a Delaware County musician named Keith Palumbo, 36, were also discovered along with Rossillo Jr's body three years later, in April 2020. DNA samples were used to identify both in August of the same year.
DiMauro was arrested the following month, as per the New York Post. Michael DeLuca, a different Warlocks gang member, was arrested in 2021 and admitted guilt to third-degree murder in connection with Palumbo's death in January.
Three other conspirators entered guilty pleas for their roles in assisting with the body's disposal, per the NY Post. According to Lasner's office, the motives behind both murders remain a mystery.
Krasner said, "We are committed to bringing justice in cold cases like this. I believe that these convictions should send a message to any persons who think they can murder others and hide the evidence of their heinous crimes: We will solve these cases and we will bring you to justice.”
