DiSabatino Cold Case Homicide Arrest In Newark Delaware Raises More Questions Than Answers

Local media in Delaware published a recent article naming a suspect in a homicide cold case that occurred on November 12, 2012 when a University of Delaware Student Peter Disabatino, a 20 year old Appoquinimink High School graduate was gunned down. The article published January 30, 2024 stated that a New Castle County grand jury indicted 33 year old Alondo Dale on first degree murder charges for the Disabatino killing.

On Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, at around 9:20 p.m., officers responded to the area of Studio Green Apartments on Thorn Lane in reference to a shooting. Authorities found Peter DiSabatino on the sidewalk with apparent gunshot wounds, and he was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

According to police and earlier news reports about the killing, Disabatino was in his apartment at 211 Thorn Lane with friends, when someone he knew texted him to come outside to meet him. Investigators at the time believed that he was set-up, and when he walked outside, he was shot and killed. The suspects in the shooting are described as two black men. One was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and the other was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

In all of the time since police have been investigating this homicide, the identity of the perpetrators or at least a suspect had never been established until now. More than 11 years after this heinous criminal act, the police some how magically pulled the name of Disabatino’s killer out of a hat, or are they even certain that Dale is actually the correct suspect?

You see, Dale is not the first person to be charged with murder in DiSabatino’s death. Another man was quietly indicted on a first-degree murder charge following the killing in November 2021 only to have charges against him dropped on the eve of his trial last month, according to the news article. A November court filing by prosecutors indicated they were having trouble making a “potential witness” cooperate in the case, the article read.

The court document also revealed that the witness apparently was engaged in a brush with the law themself. The documents allegedly stated that the witness was key to the case and asked the court to ensure the witness’s appearance by placing a “high cash bail” of $100,000 on the witness. That’s an interesting fact in this case since the discovery that has resulted in first degree murder charges against Dale took over a decade to materialize. Where has this person been for over a decade?

It’s not difficult to see a troubling piece of discovery developing here in the People’s case from the gate. You have a “potential witness” that is being difficult, and you solicit the courts to basically hold them hostage with a high bail for a crime, to help prosecutors make charges stick in a murder rap that another person was previously charged with, and then subsequently had the charges dropped? Don’t tell us that the proposed “potential witness” was the exact same person that charges were recently dropped for in the same murder case.

Based on what’s been revealed so far about this cold case, that’s only a portion of the case that appears to be problematic. It’s simply incredible that while there has been no physical evidence in the case for years, barring a text message from the friend that cops say set Disabatino up, investigators were somehow able to identify a subject with an extremely vague description of the alleged assailants.

This has to mean that the “potential witness” will place the gun in Dale’s hand at the crime scene or provide other testimony that would act as fruit of a poisonous tree which ultimately led to Dale being named the primary suspect. However, prosecutors will have to overcome the mysterious manner in which the discovery of the “potential witness” came about. Remember, a cold case unit revisited the record in the case and re-questioned witnesses.

A conscious person can only ask the obvious questions considering these turns of events that took over a decade to uncover. Did the original investigators miss something? Were they incompetent? Did one of the original witnesses change their story or suddenly have some sort of memory improvement while being interrogated by police officials?

Either way the witness testimony is mere circumstantial evidence that will probably be a hard sell even for the most pro-prosecution jury if the witness was charged with the Disabatino killing or any other crime for that matter, and then subsequently had the charges dropped after cutting a deal with authorities while conveniently naming Dale as the suspect.

Time and time again in society there are violent and heinous crimes that occur and prosecutors make their cases off of information from informants or other shady characters who run afoul of the law in unrelated crimes for which they are charged. Then, they offer up so-called knowledge about an unsolved crime and name another person hoping to cut a deal, or obtain a get out of jail free card. This case smells of such a dynamic. Why else would prosecutors ask the court to give a person a high bail to insure their appearance. (suspectedly for testimony in a grand jury indictment hearing). Hell, a person in a pinch (facing criminal charges) will say anything to deflect responsibility, to avoid jail time, and especially under duress while the threat of jail time is utilized to coerce testimony favorable to a prosecutor’s case.

Also, original news articles that were published back in 2012 around the time of the crime indicated that Disabatino was in his dwelling with friends when someone he knew texted him to come outside. The reports never indicated whether police offered any explanation as to why anyone would want to set Disabatino up to harm him. At the very least they must have obtained cell phone information regarding who texted him to come outside. Did that discovery ever produce any leads?

In fact, nothing was ever mentioned in any of the earlier reports regarding Disabatino selling marijuana to anyone, and if you assume that the “potential witness” is the source of where the police obtained their purported motive for the killing and accept that discovery as being accurate, then you must comprehend that this was an allege drug deal that went south, regardless of who the perpetrator of this violent crime was, and these new facts that are coming out now about the case doesn’t arise to first degree murder at all. If you consider the cop’s own theory that the perpetrators planned to purchase marijuana from Disabatino, and we can only wonder how they will prove the killing was premeditated?

Moreover, the News Journal article seems to suggest that the case is already complete and Dale has already been convicted, as it contains quotes from Thomas Disabitino (the father of the victim) thanking police officials for their work that he described as “remarkable” despite the fact that Dale hasn’t even gone to trial on these charges. Most civilized people will agree that even though he was allegedly involved in the solicitation of marijuana that he didn’t deserve to die, but the fact that he may have been selling pot, and that it possibly exposed him to the vulnerabilities of the drug dealing world must be confronted.

The glaring dynamic of young Peter Disabtinom coming from a wealthy and well-to-do family (which consist of judges, lawyers, real estate moguls, and construction developers) would create a tremendous upheaval for any person named as a suspect in this case. Imagine the type of consequences his killer(s) will face if they are suspected to be black men, as the influence of a powerful white family would create constant pressure on local government and police officials to find the killer and solve the case.

It’s very suspect that nothing was ever mentioned about the solicitation of drugs in initial reports, and the public was led to believe that Disabatino was simply a good college kid at home minding his business when two would-be criminals lured him into a trap to kill him. The News Journal article also talked about how the family coped with the loss of their son by awarding a $1,000 scholarship to an Appo lacrosse player that personifies Di Sabatino’s love of the game as well as his leadership and motivational qualities on and off the field.

Its typical American journalism when pertinent facts are often times omitted in these kind of cases, and news reports are crafted to play on the heart strings of the public by carefully scripting media content to make certain victims appear pure and pristine in the eye of the public, and in this instance for example, making Dale appear as a monster who killed a good kid without provocation. I’m sure during the course of the investigation something had to have indicated the drug element of this case. The fact that it was concealed all of this time is scary considering the status of the victim’s family in this case. That’s even if you believe the cops’ new version of events for this case.

It’s quite possible that the Disabatino family could have used its influence to keep the fact that Peter was allegedly selling pot out of the media in an effort to prevent losing public interest in the case or the assistance of possible witnesses, and so that the stigmatization of drug dealing wouldn’t tarnish the family’s image. If you believe that a powerful white family could have influence related to the investigation into the killing of one of their own, imagine how much influence it could have in the process of identifying a subject in this case.

The fact that this case has taken so long to be resolved should cause the objective observer to pause and carefully weigh the facts to avoid a rush to judgement. Requesting that the courts ensure that a “potential witness” remains in jail on a high bail is extremely problematic for the prosecution. While the death of Peter Disabatino is tragic, it would be a tremendous injustice to railroad another black man for this killing, to appease or satisfy the pressures of solving a cold murder case.

The People’s Champion Blog

Im Crime Blogger David Adams

Sources: True Crime

New Castle County Police News

Delaware Online

David Adams

A Self proclaimed geek, Sympathizer for the homeless, Social Change Advocate, Crime Blogger, Promoter of Awareness for Missing and Exploited Children, and a mobile technology enthusiast. A recognized Journalist and Human Interest Writer championing the plight of the masses whom are without a voice of their own.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

Local media in Delaware published a recent article naming a suspect in a homicide cold case that occurred on November 12, 2012 when a University of Delaware Student Peter Disabatino, a 20 year old Appoquinimink High School graduate was gunned down. The article published January 30, 2024 stated that a New Castle County grand jury indicted 33 year old Alondo Dale on first degree murder charges for the Disabatino killing.

On Monday, Nov. 12, 2012, at around 9:20 p.m., officers responded to the area of Studio Green Apartments on Thorn Lane in reference to a shooting. Authorities found Peter DiSabatino on the sidewalk with apparent gunshot wounds, and he was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

According to police and earlier news reports about the killing, Disabatino was in his apartment at 211 Thorn Lane with friends, when someone he knew texted him to come outside to meet him. Investigators at the time believed that he was set-up, and when he walked outside, he was shot and killed. The suspects in the shooting are described as two black men. One was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and the other was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

In all of the time since police have been investigating this homicide, the identity of the perpetrators or at least a suspect had never been established until now. More than 11 years after this heinous criminal act, the police some how magically pulled the name of Disabatino’s killer out of a hat, or are they even certain that Dale is actually the correct suspect?

You see, Dale is not the first person to be charged with murder in DiSabatino’s death. Another man was quietly indicted on a first-degree murder charge following the killing in November 2021 only to have charges against him dropped on the eve of his trial last month, according to the news article. A November court filing by prosecutors indicated they were having trouble making a “potential witness” cooperate in the case, the article read.

The court document also revealed that the witness apparently was engaged in a brush with the law themself. The documents allegedly stated that the witness was key to the case and asked the court to ensure the witness’s appearance by placing a “high cash bail” of $100,000 on the witness. That’s an interesting fact in this case since the discovery that has resulted in first degree murder charges against Dale took over a decade to materialize. Where has this person been for over a decade?

It’s not difficult to see a troubling piece of discovery developing here in the People’s case from the gate. You have a “potential witness” that is being difficult, and you solicit the courts to basically hold them hostage with a high bail for a crime, to help prosecutors make charges stick in a murder rap that another person was previously charged with, and then subsequently had the charges dropped? Don’t tell us that the proposed “potential witness” was the exact same person that charges were recently dropped for in the same murder case.

Based on what’s been revealed so far about this cold case, that’s only a portion of the case that appears to be problematic. It’s simply incredible that while there has been no physical evidence in the case for years, barring a text message from the friend that cops say set Disabatino up, investigators were somehow able to identify a subject with an extremely vague description of the alleged assailants.

This has to mean that the “potential witness” will place the gun in Dale’s hand at the crime scene or provide other testimony that would act as fruit of a poisonous tree which ultimately led to Dale being named the primary suspect. However, prosecutors will have to overcome the mysterious manner in which the discovery of the “potential witness” came about. Remember, a cold case unit revisited the record in the case and re-questioned witnesses.

A conscious person can only ask the obvious questions considering these turns of events that took over a decade to uncover. Did the original investigators miss something? Were they incompetent? Did one of the original witnesses change their story or suddenly have some sort of memory improvement while being interrogated by police officials?

Either way the witness testimony is mere circumstantial evidence that will probably be a hard sell even for the most pro-prosecution jury if the witness was charged with the Disabatino killing or any other crime for that matter, and then subsequently had the charges dropped after cutting a deal with authorities while conveniently naming Dale as the suspect.

Time and time again in society there are violent and heinous crimes that occur and prosecutors make their cases off of information from informants or other shady characters who run afoul of the law in unrelated crimes for which they are charged. Then, they offer up so-called knowledge about an unsolved crime and name another person hoping to cut a deal, or obtain a get out of jail free card. This case smells of such a dynamic. Why else would prosecutors ask the court to give a person a high bail to insure their appearance. (suspectedly for testimony in a grand jury indictment hearing). Hell, a person in a pinch (facing criminal charges) will say anything to deflect responsibility, to avoid jail time, and especially under duress while the threat of jail time is utilized to coerce testimony favorable to a prosecutor’s case.

Also, original news articles that were published back in 2012 around the time of the crime indicated that Disabatino was in his dwelling with friends when someone he knew texted him to come outside. The reports never indicated whether police offered any explanation as to why anyone would want to set Disabatino up to harm him. At the very least they must have obtained cell phone information regarding who texted him to come outside. Did that discovery ever produce any leads?

In fact, nothing was ever mentioned in any of the earlier reports regarding Disabatino selling marijuana to anyone, and if you assume that the “potential witness” is the source of where the police obtained their purported motive for the killing and accept that discovery as being accurate, then you must comprehend that this was an allege drug deal that went south, regardless of who the perpetrator of this violent crime was, and these new facts that are coming out now about the case doesn’t arise to first degree murder at all. If you consider the cop’s own theory that the perpetrators planned to purchase marijuana from Disabatino, and we can only wonder how they will prove the killing was premeditated?

Moreover, the News Journal article seems to suggest that the case is already complete and Dale has already been convicted, as it contains quotes from Thomas Disabitino (the father of the victim) thanking police officials for their work that he described as “remarkable” despite the fact that Dale hasn’t even gone to trial on these charges. Most civilized people will agree that even though he was allegedly involved in the solicitation of marijuana that he didn’t deserve to die, but the fact that he may have been selling pot, and that it possibly exposed him to the vulnerabilities of the drug dealing world must be confronted.

The glaring dynamic of young Peter Disabtinom coming from a wealthy and well-to-do family (which consist of judges, lawyers, real estate moguls, and construction developers) would create a tremendous upheaval for any person named as a suspect in this case. Imagine the type of consequences his killer(s) will face if they are suspected to be black men, as the influence of a powerful white family would create constant pressure on local government and police officials to find the killer and solve the case.

It’s very suspect that nothing was ever mentioned about the solicitation of drugs in initial reports, and the public was led to believe that Disabatino was simply a good college kid at home minding his business when two would-be criminals lured him into a trap to kill him. The News Journal article also talked about how the family coped with the loss of their son by awarding a $1,000 scholarship to an Appo lacrosse player that personifies Di Sabatino’s love of the game as well as his leadership and motivational qualities on and off the field.

Its typical American journalism when pertinent facts are often times omitted in these kind of cases, and news reports are crafted to play on the heart strings of the public by carefully scripting media content to make certain victims appear pure and pristine in the eye of the public, and in this instance for example, making Dale appear as a monster who killed a good kid without provocation. I’m sure during the course of the investigation something had to have indicated the drug element of this case. The fact that it was concealed all of this time is scary considering the status of the victim’s family in this case. That’s even if you believe the cops’ new version of events for this case.

It’s quite possible that the Disabatino family could have used its influence to keep the fact that Peter was allegedly selling pot out of the media in an effort to prevent losing public interest in the case or the assistance of possible witnesses, and so that the stigmatization of drug dealing wouldn’t tarnish the family’s image. If you believe that a powerful white family could have influence related to the investigation into the killing of one of their own, imagine how much influence it could have in the process of identifying a subject in this case.

The fact that this case has taken so long to be resolved should cause the objective observer to pause and carefully weigh the facts to avoid a rush to judgement. Requesting that the courts ensure that a “potential witness” remains in jail on a high bail is extremely problematic for the prosecution. While the death of Peter Disabatino is tragic, it would be a tremendous injustice to railroad another black man for this killing, to appease or satisfy the pressures of solving a cold murder case.

The People’s Champion Blog

Im Crime Blogger David Adams

Sources: True Crime

New Castle County Police News

Delaware Online

David Adams

A Self proclaimed geek, Sympathizer for the homeless, Social Change Advocate, Crime Blogger, Promoter of Awareness for Missing and Exploited Children, and a mobile technology enthusiast. A recognized Journalist and Human Interest Writer championing the plight of the masses whom are without a voice of their own.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

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