In early 2015 the Allentown Police Department created a Cold Case Homicide team to look into the city's well... cold cases. Here are two of the cases that they're working on right now.
Rocco Marinaro was walking home from eating out at a restaurant in Allentown. He was found shot inside his enclosed porch in 2012 and to date no persons of interest have been released. The Allentown police did release a clip of surveillance footage of Rocco walking home that they believe could lead to more information. They are looking to help identify two people who were seen shortly after Rocco passed the camera.
Rocco Marinaro
Death: March 14, 2012
Ethnicity: Caucasion - Sex: Male
Height: Unknown - Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: brown, some grey - Eye Color: Brown
Hometown: Rahway, NJ - living in Allentown, PA
Crime Scene: His residence in Allentown, PA
Last Known Location Alive: Local restaurant
Injury Description: Shot in the chest
Suspect Description: Surveillance video released by police: https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-west-allentown-murder-rocco-surveillance-video-20150407-story.html
DNA: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
Michelle Farr was a 6 year old 1st grader at Jefferson Elementary School in 1980. She was running an errand on a routine route to the neighborhood store where she bought bread & lunch meat. This store at the time was called Highway Superette. When she took longer than usual to return, her mother Betty Hertzog noticed Michelle’s absence and went looking for her. Betty was the one who discovered the torn bag of groceries and called the police. The following day her body was discovered floating near a bridge at Lake Nockamixon.
Michelle Farr
Death: March 5 or 6, 1980
Ethnicity: Caucasion - Sex: Female
Height: Unknown - Weight: Unknown
Hair Color: Brown - Eye Color: Brown
Hometown: Allentown, PA
Crime Scene: Unknown, body found in Lake Nockamixon
Last Known Location Alive: Neighborhood store: Highway Superette
Injury Description: Died by either suffocation or strangulation, no sign of sexual assault
Suspect Description: A composite sketch, which was obtained through hypnotic interviews of these witnesses, depicted a 30 year old white male with dark rimmed glasses. The car he was driving was described as a late-model chamois colored Mercury Zephyr
Additional Information: Three weeks after Michelle was murdered her windbreaker was found on S 6th St. This was bizarre because it was found on S 6th St only 2.5 blocks from her home and wasn’t there previously. A local woman who walked that path everyday discovered it. She ended up taking it home, washing it, and giving it to one of her children to wear. Later she discovered while sewing a ripped seam that the tag held the name Michelle Farr. She immediately called the police and turned it over to the detectives on April 18th. Betty confirmed that it was Michelle’s jacket. Police believe the killer was trying to get rid of evidence after the body was discovered. If that is true, why put it near where she was abducted and lived??
DNA: Unknown
Fingerprints: Unknown
Anyone with information on Rocco Marinaro's or Michelle Farr’s deaths can contact Allentown police by calling detectives at 610-437-7721. CASH REWARD: Unknown Sources: https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/family-of-murdered-man-speaks-out/article_d6d51a85-e17e-528c-9615-6d520a517938.html