A member of a notorious Philadelphia motorcycle gang, the Warlocks, has been found guilty of murder. The man allegedly killed a prospective member of the gang in a cemetery. He then disposed of the victim’s body in a nearby crypt. Michael DiMauro, aged 51, represented himself at trial and was convicted on all charges, including first-degree murder, conspiracy, and abuse of a corpse. The District Attorney’s office announced the verdict on Tuesday following a short jury deliberation.
The deceased man was identified as 33-year-old David Rossillo, Jr. He was killed in 2017 at Mount Moriah Cemetery in southwest Philadelphia.
According to the District Attorney’s office, DiMauro and Rossillo met at the cemetery after being granted access by a member of the graveyard’s nonprofit board. It was there that DiMauro shot Rossillo multiple times. He then proceeded to tie a rope around Rossillo’s neck, dragged his body to a crypt using a vehicle, and pried open the crypt to dispose of the body. The gruesome details of the crime were revealed in a press release issued by the DA’s office.
The case was aided by two cooperating witnesses who implicated DiMauro in the murder. However, it wasn’t until three years later that investigators discovered Rossillo’s body in the cemetery crypt. During the same search, they also found the remains of 36-year-old Keith Palumbo, a musician from Delaware County. Both victims were identified in August 2020 through DNA samples. DiMauro was arrested the following month.
In a related development, another member of the Warlocks gang, Michael DeLuca, was arrested in 2021. In January of 2023, he pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the slaying of Keith Palumbo. Additionally, three other co-conspirators pleaded guilty to their roles in helping dispose of the bodies. The motives behind both killings remain unknown, according to the District Attorney’s office..