NEWYou can now hear Fox News articles. The haunting case of a 36-year old tattoo artist and musician from Delaware County, Pennsylvania who was murdered by a long-time friend is the focus of Oxygen’s true-crime show, “Philly Homicide,” in which retired detective Chris McMullin revisits the city’s most explosive crimes. McMullin said to Fox News Digital that this is a sad case. “Through an extremely thorough investigation, which included interviews with other parties who either had knowledge of the crime or were involved in some way, it led to Mount Moriah Cemetery.” It was not surprising to me, because I knew that many stolen cars had been dumped in the cemetery. “FORMER UNDERCOVER AGENCY RECALLS INFLUTRATING THE HELLS ANGELS : ‘A DANGEROUS GAMES TO PLAY’ “I even said in the episode that if you wanted hide a corpse, that’s probably a place to do it,” McMullin said, describing it “a cemetery that no one was really taking care of.” Investigators found the remains of David Rossillo Jr. and Palumbo in April 2020. Rossillo was a potential member of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club. Both victims were discovered in the vault of Capt. A.H. Cain died in 1884. Rossillo was killed in a separate incident even though his remains were found in the same crypt. McMullin stated that Mount Moriah Cemetery was in disrepair and had been abandoned for many years. According to reports, the cemetery was a well-known dumping ground for illegal activities and stolen cars. McMullin referred to the long period of neglect by saying that Mount Moriah Cemetery was out of business for years. “I’ve seen it. I was there when I worked in the funeral industry part-time. When you visit, it’s like a scene from a post-apocalyptic movie. There are mausoleums with vines growing on them and headstones that have fallen over. It’s sad because this used to be a cemetery, where people were laid down. You would expect it to be maintained forever. McMullin added, “We’re also dealing with a large cemetery.” “[The investigators] were lucky because they noticed, as they walked around, that one of the graves appeared to have recently been disturbed. “FOLLOW FOX TRUE CRIME ON XPalumbo is described as a member of a close-knit family who was well-known in his community as a heavy metal guitar player. His family knew immediately that something was wrong when Palumbo went missing in February of 2020. He was driving his mother’s car at the time, and received a call from Michael DeLuca (also known as “Kaos”), a Warlocks member. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, DeLuca told Palumbo that he should go to his home in Southwest Philadelphia. McMullin said, “When I heard that he was missing, it gave me a feeling of ominousness.” “All of the cases we examine in this series are tragic. But this was a case that was so blatantly betrayed. “The outlet reported after the three men had arrived at DeLuca’s apartment, that he pulled out his handgun and pointed it towards Palumbo. A witness told investigators DeLuca shot Palumbo in the face while Palumbo protested. The outlet noted that one of the men said to have been in the apartment at that time cited the account. McMullin stated that although the circumstances of the dispute were unclear, witnesses and authorities suggested DeLuca might have suspected Palumbo was cooperating with law-enforcement, though no proof was presented to back that claim. McMullin acknowledged that he did not know if DeLuca ever gave a specific response. “It was rumored that he did it to set an instance not to cross him. This victim was his best friend for life. Was he trying as an example to the other members? It seemed as if they were afraid of his presence. “SIGN-UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER”I think there’s probably a problem with impulse control here,” said McMullin. “I think this was calculated and deliberate. They took [Palumbo] into the clubhouse to do that to him. The Warlocks are not as well-known as groups such as the Hells Angels but authorities have identified them as a serious motorcycle gang. Federal and local investigators have linked members to a variety of violent crimes including murder, assault, and drug trafficking. “The other groups are larger and they appear in places where there is more media and public attention, as opposed to a smaller group like the Warlocks that doesn’t have a national scope,” explained retired ATF Special agent in charge Bernard Zapor to Fox News Digital. “Some gangs deliberately keep their activities low-key,” said Zapor. “They don’t care about the attention and notoriety.” “[But] all of them have something in common: betrayal is a death penalty. Your first allegiance is to the club, then your family. Club comes before family and club before self. The suspicion that you are an informant can be dangerous and unfortunate. Zapor said, “These two people were well acquainted and had a long-standing relationship.” “But if someone suspects you of being a police agent, the only thing that can happen is death. If they can reach you, it’s a death penalty. According to the episode cooperating witnesses helped police piece what happened to Palumbo, Rossillo Jr. and other suspects. The information, along with physical evidence recovered from the scene and cell phone data, allowed investigators build a case against DeLuca. McMullin said, “They were all scared of [DeLuca].” “But I think that when it came down to it, they didn’t really want to lie to him and risk a possible prosecution. I just don’t think thieves have any honor. Loyalty has been made very clear and is expected. I think people are also looking out for themselves. Especially those who commit a lot, and heinous crimes. In September 2020, DeLuca, and Michael DiMauro – another member of the Warlocks – were arrested. In 2023, DiMauro found guilty of first degree murder and abuse of corpse in relation to Rossillo Jr.’s death. Prosecutors claimed that he shot the 33 year old, tied a cord around his neck, and dragged the body to a crypt which had been broken open before dumping his remains. DeLuca was sentenced to a life without parole in prison. Click here to download the FOX NEWS APP. That same year, DeLuca pleaded guilt to third-degree homicide in Palumbo’s death, FOX29 Philadelphia reported. The outlet also reported that three others pleaded guilty for helping dispose of the bodies of the victims. DeLuca was sentenced to between 15 and 35 years in prison. McMullin said, “This case has stayed with me.” “There is the relationship between the murderer and the victim. Unfortunately, people are killed more often by people they know. Outlaw biker gangs have a reputation for violence. Michael DeLuca did, in my opinion a bad act.”
