Where is Joseph Odierno?
Police are investigating Miller Place man's suspicious disappearance
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Suffolk police detectives say Joseph Odierno, 35, of Miller Place disappeared under suspicious circumstances along with an acquaintance, Jairo Santos, 22, of the Washington Heights section of Manhattan.
Detectives from the Suffolk Fugitives/Missing Persons Section learned from common witnesses, part of a missing persons investigation conducted by Nassau County Police, that Mr. Odierno and Mr. Santos, a C.W. Post College student, were together on the Brookville campus July 16, the day they were both last seen, police said. The two men left the campus together in Mr. Odierno's car and then made the 35-mile drive to a location in Coram, where they were last seen, police said. Mr. Odierno last spoke with his wife, Jessica, around 10 p.m., police said.
Suffolk County Police said Joseph Odierno has not returned to his Miller Place home on Radio Avenue since June 16. He last spoke with his wife, Jessica, at about 10 p.m. that night, police said.
"We know they were in the car together, but where are they now?" asked Deputy Inspector Gerard McCarthy.
Officers from the New York City Police Department found Mr. Odierno's gray 2007 Cadillac Escalade abandoned two days later on Gates Avenue in the Ridgewood section of Queens, almost 60 miles away, after Ms. Odierno activated its On-Star GPS system, he said. It is unclear how the car ended up in Queens, but Dep. Insp. McCarthy said NYPD investigators did not find anything unusual during their preliminary investigation.
Dep. Insp. McCarthy said Mr. Odierno allegedly has a "substance abuse problem and [he] might have been involved in the distribution of drugs."
Mr. Odierno has a prior arrest for weapons possession in Westchester County for which he completed five years of probation, according to Det. Lt. Joseph Williams. He was also previously arrested by Suffolk police for criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of marijuana, according to online court documents. When contacted by The North Shore Sun Wednesday afternoon, hours after Mr. Odierno missed a court appearance, his attorney, John Loturco of Huntington, said he was unaware his client was deemed missing by police. Mr. Loturco said he had not seen Mr. Odierno since his last court appearance on June 11.
Attempts by staff to contact Mr. Odierno on both of his cell phones to remind him that he needed to be in court to sign a motion were unsuccessful, Mr. Loturco said.
"I am certainly shocked to hear that, and I hope he is found well," Mr. Loturco said.
Mr. Odierno, who is married with children, makes a stable living as a truck driver, Mr. Loturco said. He had no reason to flee, because he was only facing probation for the pending charges, according to Mr. Loturco.
"I wish I could solve this mystery," he added.
The "overshadow of drugs" and the fact that Mr. Odierno's car was abandoned has caused investigators some concern, Dep. Insp. McCarthy said.
"There is something obviously afoul here," he added.
Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding Mr. Odierno or Mr. Santos to come forward and call them at the Fugitive/Missing Persons Section at 631-852-6040 or Crime Stoppers, a confidential police hot line, at 800-220-TIPS.
An attempt to reach Ms. Odierno at the family's Radio Avenue home was unsuccessful Wednesday.
Det. Lt. Williams said Mr. Odierno's car is very distinctive and he is hoping its description might jar people's memories and provide investigators with further clues to solve the case.
"That's what we are trying to do," Det. Lt. Williams continued, "...shake some trees."
Mr. Santos' missing persons case is currently being investigated by the Nassau County Police Department's missing persons unit.
Dep. Insp. McCarthy said detectives determined a link between the two missing persons cases after they found "common witnesses" who offered information on both Mr. Odierno and Mr. Santos. However, he said, investigators are hoping media coverage will help generate some interest in the cases and bring them to a successful conclusion.
"We are hoping to generate some calls," he said, noting that all tips will be actively looked into. "Anything."
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