Crime & Safety

4 Missing Men: The Solebury Farm Mystery Timeline

Bucks County has been on edge since four young men went missing within a week. One body has been recovered. Here is the timeline.

The national spotlight is on Bucks County, as authorities continue investigating the disappearance of four young men, including one who was found deceased in rural Solebury Township. The District Attorney early Thursday announced that the remains of 19-year-old Dean Finocchiaro were found at a 90-acre farm off Rt. 202 in Solebury.

Authorities continue their search Thursday to piece together what happened to the other three men, all reported missing within days of each other.

RELATED: Investigators Lay Out Gruesome Chain Of Events In Solebury Slayings

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Here is a timeline of what has happened since the first man went missing earlier this month:

WEDNESDAY, July 5

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  • Jimi Patrick, 19, of Newtown goes missing. The last time someone saw or heard from him was at 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, July 6

  • A missing persons report is filed after Jimi Patrick fails to show up for work and is out of contact with family and friends. The report is filed at 4:45 p.m. with Newtown Township Police.

FRIDAY, July 7

  • Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Langhorne goes missing. He was last seen around 6:30 p.m. getting into a car near his home in the Hampton Bridge section of Langhorne.
  • Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg and Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township go missing. It is believed the pair were together in the area of Peddler's Village.
  • Tom Meo's girlfriend receives her last text communication from him at 6:53 p.m.
  • A Solebury Township mobile license plate reader captured the license plate of a car owned by Cosmo DiNardo, a person of interest in the case, on Street Road at 7:49 p.m. Seconds after, the license plate reader captured a 1996 Nissan Maxima owned by Tom Meo driving just behind.

SATURDAY, July 8

  • Sturgis and Meo, who work together at Sturgis' father's construction company, don't show up for work. Sturgis' father, Mark Potash, told Philly.com initially he thought they just had a late night on Friday. But by mid-afternoon, he knew something was wrong.
  • A neighbor reports hearing "extremely disturbing" and "violent" gunshots around 3:35 p.m. Police have not confirmed if the shots are in any way related, but the report was deemed credible.
  • DiNardo allegedly calls a friend around 5 p.m. and offers to sell him an older model Nissan Maxima for $500.

SUNDAY, July 9

  • Sturgis’ car is found at 2:10 a.m. at Peddler's Village.
  • Meo's car is found at 4 a.m. by police on a Solebury Township property along Aquetong Road. The property is owned by Dinardo's parents. The title was found inside the car, unsigned by Meo. Also, his life-saving diabetic kit which he never parted with is in the car.
  • Police begin a search for the missing men at the DiNardo family properties along Rt. 202 and Aquetong Road. The New York Times reports police were directed to the farm after the cellphone of one of the missing men, Dean Finocchiaro, was tracked there on Saturday afternoon. Officials have not confirmed information about cellphone tracking, however.

MONDAY, July 10

  • District Attorney Matt Weintraub says he believes foul play is involved in the disappearance of the men.
  • The DiNardo family home on Wayland Circle in Bensalem is searched.
  • Heavy machinery, including a backhoe, is brought to the search site in Solebury, estimated to be about 90 acres.
  • DiNardo, 20, of Bensalem is charged with a firearms possession offense. The charge, which was previously dismissed for unknown reasons, alleged that DiNardo was in possession of a Savage Arms 20-gauge shotgun in February. DiNardo is "known to suffer from mental illness and was involuntary committed to a mental institution for inpatient care and treatment," the affidavit said.
  • Bail is set at 10 percent of $1 million for DiNardo.

TUESDAY, July 11

  • For the third day, the search at the DiNardo's Solebury farm continues.
  • DiNardo's father, Antonio, posts his bail. Cosmo DiNardo is released.
  • At least 40 police academy cadets from Montgomery County join the search scene for evidence.
  • The district attorney says no human remains have been found at this point.

WEDNESDAY, July 12

  • DiNardo is charged with stealing a car owned by one of the missing men. Authorities allege DiNardo stole the Nissan Maxima owned by Tom Meo and attempted to sell the car, which was later found at his family's property.
  • His bail is set at $5 million cash by Judge Maggie Snow. It's the largest bail she's ever set.
  • Cadaver dogs lead investigators to the remains of Dean Finocchiaro.
  • District Attorney Weintraub schedules a midnight press conference at the Logan Square Shopping Center to announce a major development.
  • Weintraub meets with the Finocchairo family to tell them the unfortunate news.

THURSDAY, July 13

  • Crowds line up at the Logan Square Shopping Center, just next to the Square One Pub, to hear Weintraub's update. He relays the news on the findings, saying investigators located a 12.5-foot gravesite with multiple bodies inside. Just one set of remains, those of Finocchairo, have been positively identified.
  • "Make no mistake this is a homicide," Weintraub said. He declines to say how Finocchairo died.
  • Crews resume their search of the Solebury Township site.
  • At an 11 a.m. briefing, Weintraub says the other remains have not been positively identified. He also declines to say how many bodies were found inside the grave.
  • Charges in connection with Finocchairo's death have not yet been filed.
  • The FBI establishes a tip line for the case. Anyone with information should call 1800-Call-FBI, select option 7.
  • District attorney cancels regular 3 p.m. briefing.
  • DiNardo confesses to participating in the murders of four men in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.
  • A second suspect, later revealed to be Sean Kratz, is taken into custody.

FRIDAY, July 14

  • DiNardo and Sean Kratz, 20, are charged with homicide. DiNardo is charged with four counts. Kratz is charged with three counts. Investigators say he was not present at the time of Patrick's death.

Watch: Human Remains Found In Search For 4 Missing Men


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