Missing man’s body found in abandoned cemetery crypt in case tied to biker gang

A extremity successful the hunt for missing antheral Keith Palumbo led investigators to a cemetery crypt — and a gruesome find inside.

The haunting lawsuit of the 36-year-old Delaware County, Pennsylvania, instrumentalist and tattoo artist, who was murdered by his longtime friend, is present the absorption of Oxygen’s true-crime series, "Philly Homicide," wherever retired detective Chris McMullin revisits immoderate of the city’s astir explosive crimes.

"This is simply a precise bittersweet case," McMullin told Fox News Digital. "Through a precise thorough probe involving interviews with different parties that either had cognition oregon immoderate benignant of involvement, it led them to Mount Moriah Cemetery. And honestly, it was not that astonishing to maine due to the fact that I cognize that a batch of stolen cars person been dumped there."

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Keith Palumbo, a dense metallic guitarist, was murdered successful February 2020. The 36-year-old's remains were recovered successful a crypt astatine Philadelphia's Mount Moriah Cemetery. (Philadelphia District Attorney's Office)

"I adjacent accidental successful the episode, if you wanted to fell a body, that’s astir apt a bully spot to bash it," said McMullin, describing it arsenic "a cemetery that cipher was truly taking attraction of."

In April 2020, investigators unearthed not lone Palumbo’s body, but besides the remains of David Rossillo Jr., 33, a prospective subordinate of the Warlocks Motorcycle Club. Both victims were recovered successful the household vault of Capt. A.H. Cain, who died successful 1884. Rossillo’s sidesplitting was a abstracted incident, though his remains were discovered successful the aforesaid crypt.

Keith Palumbo was described arsenic a beloved tattoo creator and section musician. (GoFundMe)

McMullin said that Mount Moriah Cemetery had fallen into disrepair for years and was mostly abandoned. According to reports, it had go a known dumping crushed for stolen cars and different amerciable activity.

Retired detective Joe Bamberski spoke astir the lawsuit of Keith Palumbo successful "Philly Homicide." The occurrence "Metal and Mayhem" airs connected May 2, 2026, astatine 8 p.m. (Oxygen)

"Mount Moriah Cemetery had gone retired of concern years ago," McMullin said, referring to its agelong play of neglect.

"I’ve been there. There was a clip erstwhile I worked part-time successful the ceremonial concern and I was there. It’s thing similar retired of a post-apocalyptic movie erstwhile you spell there. There are headstones that are knocked implicit and vines increasing each implicit mausoleums. It’s precise bittersweet due to the fact that this was a cemetery wherever radical were laid to rest. Typically, you expect it to beryllium cared for perpetually."

Retired detective Chris McMullin is the big of Oxygen's "Philly Homicide." (Oxygen)

"We’re besides talking astir a immense cemetery," McMullin continued. "[The investigators] got fortunate because, arsenic they were walking around, they noticed that 1 of the crypts seemed to person been precocious disturbed."

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"I privation to convey now-retired Philadelphia Police Detective Joe Bambersky for his diligent and tireless enactment connected this case," said Assistant District Attorney Robert Wainwright successful a statement. "I’m precise pleased that we are capable to bring immoderate measurement of justness and bid to the loved ones of these 2 victims." (Philadelphia District Attorney's Office)

Palumbo was described arsenic coming from a adjacent household and was known successful his assemblage for being a dense metallic guitarist. When helium went missing successful February 2020, his household instantly knew thing was wrong.

At the clip helium went missing, Palumbo was driving his mother’s car with 2 different men erstwhile helium received a telephone telephone from his friend, Warlocks subordinate Michael DeLuca, who went by the nickname "Kaos," The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. According to the outlet, DeLuca had told Palumbo to spell to his Southwest Philadelphia home.

Friend Michael Davvocato besides sat down for "Philly Homicide" to talk astir Keith Palumbo's murder. (Unknown)

"When I learned that helium had gone missing, it conscionable gave maine an ominous feeling," said McMullin. "All the cases we research successful this bid are tragic, but this was specified a lawsuit of betrayal."

DNA taken from the remains led to the authoritative recognition of David Rossillo Jr. and Keith Palumbo successful August 2020. (Philadelphia District Attorney's Office)

The outlet reported that aft the 3 men arrived astatine DeLuca’s apartment, helium pulled retired a handgun and pointed it astatine Palumbo. While Palumbo protested, a witnesser told investigators that DeLuca changeable him successful the face. The outlet noted that the relationship was cited by 1 of the men who was said to beryllium successful the flat astatine the time.

McMullin said that portion the circumstances of the statement were unclear, authorities and witnesses suggested DeLuca whitethorn person suspected Palumbo of cooperating with instrumentality enforcement, though nary grounds was presented to enactment that claim.

"I don’t cognize if we ever got a circumstantial reply from DeLuca," McMullin admitted. "It was speculated that helium whitethorn person done it to acceptable an illustration not to transverse him. This unfortunate was his lifelong champion friend. Was helium trying to marque an illustration for the different members? It surely seemed similar they were acrophobic of him."

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When looking for Keith Palumbo, constabulary discovered a crypt that was precocious disturbed. (Philadelphia District Attorney's Office)

"I bash deliberation there’s astir apt an contented with impulse power there," said McMullin. "I bash deliberation that this was calculated and planned. They much than apt took [Palumbo] to the clubhouse with the volition of doing that to him."

While the Warlocks whitethorn not transportation the aforesaid sanction designation arsenic groups similar the Hells Angels, authorities person agelong identified the Pennsylvania-based nine arsenic a superior outlaw motorcycle gang.

Many loved ones, including Lierin Buckley, came guardant and spoke retired astir the lawsuit of Keith Palumbo successful "Philly Homicide." (Oxygen)

Federal and section investigators person tied members to a scope of convulsive crimes, including murder, battle and cause trafficking, a reminder that a little illustration does not mean a lesser threat.

Mount Moriah Cemetery successful Southwest Philadelphia had go a dumping crushed for stolen cars and different amerciable activity. (Oxygen)

"The different organizations are overmuch larger and they amusement up successful places that get much nationalist attraction and media attention, versus a smaller enactment similar the Warlocks, wherever they’re not afloat nationalist successful scope," retired ATF Special Agent successful Charge Bernard Zapor explained to Fox News Digital.

"Some gangs are purposely much low-key," helium said. "They’re not funny successful each the publicity and notoriety. "[But] they each person a similarity successful that betrayal of the enactment is simply a decease sentence. You person allegiance to the nine first, and past your household comes aft that. It’s nine earlier family, nine earlier self. And the suspicion of being an informant is unsafe and unfortunate."

Loved ones, similar Matthew Sondermann, spoke astir however Keith Palumbo's execution impacted him implicit the years. (Oxygen)

"These 2 radical knew each other, had a longtime relationship," Zapor continued. "But if you’re suspected of being a constabulary informant, the lone result is death. It’s a decease condemnation if they tin get to you."

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A comparative of Palumbo’s has said that helium was not a Warlocks member.

According to the episode, cooperating witnesses yet helped constabulary portion unneurotic what happened to Palumbo and Rossillo Jr. The information, combined with carnal grounds recovered astatine the country and cellphone data, allowed investigators to physique a lawsuit against DeLuca and others.

A witnesser told constabulary that DeLuca said helium killed Palumbo and needed assistance disposing of the body, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

On April 3, 2020, investigators located a crypt and discovered the assemblage of 36-year-old Keith Palumbo, a instrumentalist from Delaware County. (Philadelphia District Attorney's Office)

"They were each acrophobic of [DeLuca]," said McMullin. "But I besides deliberation that erstwhile propulsion came to shove, they didn’t privation to prevarication and perchance hazard taking a prosecution to support him. I conscionable deliberation there’s nary grant among thieves. Loyalty is thing made precise wide that’s expected. But I besides deliberation that radical are besides retired for themselves, particularly radical who are committing a batch of crimes, heinous crimes astatine that."

In September 2020, DeLuca and Michael DiMauro, different subordinate of the Warlocks, were arrested.

In 2023, DiMauro was recovered blameworthy of first-degree execution and maltreatment of a corpse successful transportation to Rossillo Jr.’s death. Prosecutors said helium changeable the 33-year-old, tied a enactment astir his cervix and dragged his assemblage to the crypt, which had been pried open, earlier dumping the remains. He was sentenced to beingness successful situation without the anticipation of parole.

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In "Philly Homicide," retired detective John Taggart from Philadelphia PD described however the acold lawsuit of Keith Palumbo was solved. (Oxygen)

That aforesaid year, DeLuca pleaded blameworthy to third-degree execution successful Palumbo’s death, FOX 29 Philadelphia reported. Three others besides pleaded blameworthy to helping to dispose of the victims’ bodies, the outlet shared. DeLuca was aboriginal sentenced to 15 to 35 years successful prison.

"This lawsuit stayed with me," said McMullin. "There’s the narration betwixt the slayer and the victim. Although sadly, much radical are killed by radical they cognize than radical they don’t know. And outlaw biker gangs are notoriously violent. Michael DeLuca, successful my opinion, did an evil act."