Episode 108: Ralph DiFonzo – “Mourning Son” Murderer, John Riccardi

Retired agent Ralph DiFonzo served in the FBI for 30 years. He was initially assigned to the Salt Lake City Division, and later to the Los Angeles Division where he worked on the Major Case Violent Crimes Squad and handled high-profile cases – kidnappings; bank robberies; celebrity stalkings; fugitive investigations and extortions. In this episode of FBI Retired Case File Review, Retired agent Ralph DiFonzo reviews his eight-year fugitive case to apprehend John Riccardi, wanted for the double murder of Connie Navarro and her friend Susan Jory. Connie Navarro was the mother of the Rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Dave Navarro who produced “Mourning Son” a documentary about the tragic event. Ralph DiFonzo appears in the film. As an FBI-certified Police Instructor, FBI SWAT Team member, Crisis Negotiator, and Crisis Management Coordinator, he supervised a Safe Streets Task Force when reassigned to the New Haven Division. Since his retirement, Ralph DiFonzo has provided training to law enforcement and private sectors throughout the United States. He works as a private investigator and a consultant with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Team Adam and Project Alert. He also conducts security audits & assessments in schools and businesses. Ralph has appeared on various TV and radios programs and interviewed in various national newspapers and publications, offering his expertise and experience regarding ongoing high-profile criminal cases.

Supervisory Special Agent (Retired)

Ralph DiFonzo

1/11/1971 – 8/17/2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following are links to newspaper articles and a documentary about the double murder committed by John Riccardi and how it affected the life of the victim’s son who was 15 years old at the time:

Huffington Post – 12/15/2015:  Dave Navarro Opens Up About His Mother’s Murder In New Documentary

New York Times – 11/30/2015:  Dave Navarro’s Mourning Son Tells the Story of His Mother’s Murder

Mourning Son Trailer

When Dave Navarro was only 15 years old his mother was brutally murdered by her estranged ex-boyfriend John Riccardi. While filming his documentary Mourning Son, Dave confronted the events that changed his life forever. Watch trailer here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wanted Poster for John Riccardi. Ralph DiFonzo was assigned the fugitive investigation to located and capture John Riccardi who was on the run for 8 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Police composite sketch of John Riccardi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actual driver’s license photo for John Riccardi. It is remarkable how close it resembles the composite image drawn by a New Jersey State Police artist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerri Williams

View posts by Jerri Williams
Jerri Williams, a retired FBI agent, author and podcaster, jokes that she writes about the FBI to relive her glory days. After 26 years with the Bureau specializing in major economic fraud and corruption investigations, she calls on her professional encounters with scams and schemers to write police procedurals inspired by true crime FBI cases in her Philadelphia FBI Corruption Squad crime fiction series featuring flawed female FBI agent Kari Wheeler. Jerri’s FBI for Armchair Detectives nonfiction series enables readers to discover who the FBI is and what the FBI does by debunking misconceptions about the FBI in books, TV, and movies. Her books are available as ebooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks wherever books are sold. She’s also the host of FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime podcast with more than 300 episodes available on all popular podcast apps and YouTube.

2 Comments

  1. Jerry RoachMarch 24, 2018

    Excellent episode (as are all of Jerri’s episodes actually). Each week I look forward to a new episodes being posted.

    Reply
    1. Jerri WilliamsMarch 25, 2018

      Thank you for listening! I learn something new from each episode too!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to top
Malcare WordPress Security