The horrific case of four murdered young men wound to a close on Friday, as law enforcement officials announced they had apprehended the two men who police believe are solely responsible for the men’s deaths and the disfigurement of their bodies.
On Friday afternoon, Bucks County District Attorney Matt Weintraub discussed the arrests of 20-year-old Cosmo Dinardo – who was arrested earlier this week – and a man Dinardo described to police as his “cousin,” Sean Kratz, 20, of Northeast Philadelphia.
Both men have been charged with several counts of homicide, robbery, conspiracy to commit serious injury, abuse of a corpse and related charges.
However, the district attorney said that only Dinardo has been charged in the death of Jimi Taro Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township, while both will face charges for the deaths of Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Middletown Township; Thomas Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township; and Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County.
“I feel a lot of sadness. I feel relief. I feel so proud of my team and I feel resolved,” said Weintraub during a press conference on Friday.
He said the remains of all four men were found on a 90-acre farm, owned by Dinardo’s parents – located along Route 202 and Aquetong Road in Solebury – three of which had been burned, in what the DA called an attempt “to obliterate them.” He said three of the men’s remains – those of Meo, Finocchiaro and Sturgis – were discovered in a 12-foot deep common grave, while Patrick’s remains were found in another location on the farm.
According to court documents – which can be viewed here – the men were all killed after marijuana deals went sour.
The documents claim that, in an interview with investigators, Dinardo admitted that he killed Patrick on July 5, after he picked the young man up at his home and drove to the Solesbury Township farm to discuss a deal to sell four pounds of marijuana for $8,000. When Patrick only produced $800, court documents note, Dinardo instead offered to sell Patrick a shotgun for that amount and walked him to “a remote part of the property” where Dinardo instead shot and killed Patrick with a 22-calibur rifle.
Using a backhoe, the documents say, Dinardo buried Patrick’s body.
Then, on July 7, Dinardo spoke with Finocchiaro and agreed to sell him a quarter pound of marijuana for about $700. When Dinardo was headed to Finocchiaro’s home, he stopped and picked up his cousin, Kratz, and, court documents note the pair came up with a plan to rob Finocchiaro instead.
The three then drove to Dinardo’s family’s property where Finocciaro was led into a barn and, according to court documents, Dinardo told police that Kratz shot Finocciaro in the head with a gun that Dinardo had given him. However, court documents note, Kratz claimed Dinardo shot Finocciaro.
Court documents note the Dinardo then wrapped Finocciaro’s body in a blue tarp, put the body in metal tank he called “the pig roaster” and set Finocciaro’s body on fire.
Later that same night, Dinardo went to meet Meo – who was with Sturgis – in order to sell him marijuana. While Kratz waited at the farm, court documents say, Dinardo returned with Meo and Sturgis all in a silver pickup truck driven by Dinardo.
According to court documents, Dinardo told police, “When they turn their backs on me, I shot Tom [Meo] in the back.” Sturgis then started to run, but Dinardo fired at him until he ran out of ammo, court documents say, and Sturgis fell to the ground.
At this point, court documents say, Meo was screaming in pain and Dinardo climbed into a backhoe and ran over the injured Meo, killing him. Dinardo then used the backhoe to pick up the men’s bodies, then put them into “the pig roaster” where they too were burned, court documents say.
Finally, according to court documents, both Kratz and Dinardo returned to the property on July 8, where Dinardo dug a common grave and buried Finocciaro, Meo and Sturgis in the metal container.
