Who do you think the anonymous caller was in the Monica Rizzo case?.. I believe that it was probably her son.. This was really a strange one. The Husband guilty as sin.. KILLED HIS WIFE..

Who do you think the anonymous caller was in the Monica Rizzo case?.. I believe that it was probably her son.. This was really a strange one. The Husband guilty as sin.. KILLED HIS WIFE..

The caller had to have been someone close to the family, but I don't have an opinion as to exactly who.

Yes, I think Monika's husband killed her. There just isn't enough evidence to charge anyone with her murder.

Yes, I think Monika's husband killed her. There just isn't enough evidence to charge anyone with her murder.

Is this the woman (I think she may have been in social work) who mysteriously disappeared and then her bones were found in the backyard and in the barbeque, along with those of a few other people?

MESSED up case!

Yep, that was the case.

I found it so haunting!!!!!

I agree with Kane that Monika Rizzo's husband was her killer, but again, not enough evidence to charge him.

Such a strange and disturbing case that was!!!

Didn't her husband commit suicide? Or was he gunned down during a police shoot out? Something like that.

Didn't her husband commit suicide? Or was he gunned down during a police shoot out? Something like that.

Nothing like that...unless you're thinking of Dennis Depue, who offed himself after a shootout with police.

No I do believe Leonard Rizzo is no longer with the living I know he was shot in the stomach during a police standoff where he had beat up his girlfriend.. and threaten to cut her up.. But I believe he was in prison for some drug charges but I think after he was released he was killed I may need to do some more research... on that on

No I do believe Leonard Rizzo is no longer with the living I know he was shot in the stomach during a police standoff where he had beat up his girlfriend.. and threaten to cut her up.. But I believe he was in prison for some drug charges but I think after he was released he was killed I may need to do some more research... on that on

Was that written in an update on the show? Because if so, I remember watching that/reading that. I could of course be mistaken and be thinking of the Steve Marfeo case though. :confused:

Was that written in an update on the show? Because if so, I remember watching that/reading that. I could of course be mistaken and be thinking of the Steve Marfeo case though. :confused:

Stephen Marfeo shot and killed his girlfriend, and wounded the man she was with, but he wasn't involved in any police standoff. He drove to an area where he killed himself. This happened in 1999 (nine years after Stephen's wife Doreen disappeared).

Stephen Marfeo shot and killed his girlfriend, and wounded the man she was with, but he wasn't involved in any police standoff. He drove to an area where he killed himself. This happened in 1999 (nine years after Stephen's wife Doreen disappeared).

I remember reading that in the update.
There wasn't enough evidence to charge him with his wife's murder, either, though, right? I remember he proclaimed his innocence despite all of the fingers that pointed to him.

despite the anonymous caller that proclaimed that Leonard Rizzo killed his wife.. wonder who it was and why he did not offer any more details as to how Monica was killed and dismembered..

No I do believe Leonard Rizzo is no longer with the living I know he was shot in the stomach during a police standoff where he had beat up his girlfriend.. and threaten to cut her up.. But I believe he was in prison for some drug charges but I think after he was released he was killed I may need to do some more research... on that on

After some searching through the internet, I found this old article, dated June 1, 1999. Leonard Rizzo was involved in a police standoff, and was shot in the stomach. But he was only wounded, not killed. I hope the info dispels the confusion.

http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/060199/sta_0601990009.shtml

Stephen Marfeo shot and killed his girlfriend, and wounded the man she was with, but he wasn't involved in any police standoff. He drove to an area where he killed himself. This happened in 1999 (nine years after Stephen's wife Doreen disappeared).

So he was involved in Doreen's dissappearance? Sorry the update I saw got cut-off a bit. During his appearance on Unsolved Mysteries it looked to me he had a sorta "catch-me-if-you-can" look on his face.

So he was involved in Doreen's dissappearance? Sorry the update I saw got cut-off a bit.

Nobody knows. He might have been involved in her disappearance, but it has never been proven.

While killing an ex and wounding her significant other does not automatically make Stephen Marfeo guility of Doreen's murder, it does show a pattern of violence towards women who get involved with him. Based on that, I would have to say I think he did it. Once, a crime of passion. Twice, that is a pattern of violence by an abuser losing control of their victim (girlfriend, wife). It's a sad reality.

So is Leonard Rizzo still in prison on the charges from his incident with the police?

This case seriously gave me the chills. Even if Leonard Rizzo did do it, there are still plenty of unanswered questions. Why did Monica just up and leave work that day without her purse? Why didn't she ask the police officer for help when he came to check on her? (It seemed to me like she was being beaten at that point.) Some things in this case just don't make any sense.

IIRC, weren't the bones of at least four unidentified people found scattered around that backyard? :confused:

And also the segment points out that none of these bones had been linked to Monica Rizzo. If there has been an update, I'd be happy to find out.

So if Leonard Rizzo has a pattern of spouse abuse it is quite possible that he has murdered Monica Rizzo. But where is she? And who else did he kill and scatter around his backyard?

IIRC, weren't the bones of at least four unidentified people found scattered around that backyard? :confused:

And also the segment points out that none of these bones had been linked to Monica Rizzo. If there has been an update, I'd be happy to find out.

So if Leonard Rizzo has a pattern of spouse abuse it is quite possible that he has murdered Monica Rizzo. But where is she? And who else did he kill and scatter around his backyard?
Interesting question..maybe Leonard Rizzo was/is a serial killer

Interesting question..maybe Leonard Rizzo was/is a serial killer

Or perhaps a mob associate. :p

But I wonder why the neighbors have never noticed the particular noise bones would make when falling into a woodchopper.

I thought they found out recently that there was only one body that the bones came from and they belong to Monika.

I thought they found out recently that there was only one body that the bones came from and they belong to Monika.

Yeah it was one body and the bones belong to Monika

I wonder how they could have fudged that up so badly (claiming the bones were from 4 separate people). I mean, that is a huge blunder by whoever was doing the DNA analysis and now if Leonard does stand trial for the murder of Monika, his lawyer(s) would have a field day with how the analysis was screwed up.

Another thing that I wondered about this case was who called the police to report those bones being in his backyard? It had to be Leonard, because who else would know about the murder of Monika and the bones in Leonard's backyard? And his fake seizure when the cops showed up supports that theory because he knew the police would be there shortly and if he was having a "seizure" he wouldn't have to be interrogated by them at that point. I'm guessing when the cops turned up nothing on the first search, they didn't have reason to question him. Then, when the second call came in and a search was made, he lawyered up and probably never got questioned alone with the investigator (who would have probably got him to say something incriminating).

Also, given the nature of the bones, there would have had to been some kind of table saw or chipper/shredder and maybe one of Leonard's friends/contacts let him use one. I'll guarantee that there is some sort of blood evidence in Leonard's garage where he chopped her up, if not on the floor then somewhere on the ceiling or wall somewhere. Chopping up a body like that would cause blood to spray all over the place.

Does anyone know what Leonard did for a living? He looks like he works construction or contracting or something to that effect and that would give him access to the tools he needed.

Who do you think the anonymous caller was in the Monica Rizzo case?.. I believe that it was probably her son.. This was really a strange one. The Husband guilty as sin.. KILLED HIS WIFE..

Sounds like the anonymous caller was a family friend....

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/archive/index.php/t-61451.html

Det. H. ESCOBAR has obtained a sworn statement from a witness in this case identified as ROBERT HAKALA. HAKALA is friends with both MONIKA and LEONARD RIZZO Sr. and has known them for some time. HAKALA stated sometime around the end of May or beginning of June he went to 4454 Forestgreen and spoke to both MONIKA and LEONARD RIZZO Sr. About three days after speaking to MONIKA and LEONARD Sr., HAKALA returned to the residence and smelled a strong odor that he associated with a dead animal. HAKALA then observed a small dog in the yard of 4454 Forestgreen playing with what appeared to be a human jawbone. When he exainined the bone, he saw the front lower teeth on the jawbone overlapped and stated he "knew that Lenny had killed Monika because I remember seeing Monika's front lower teeth and they were over lapping just like the teeth on the jaw bone." HAKALA left the location but returned the following day and while walking around the yard, "saw what appeared to be a body under a blanket...with tires on top of it."

I thought that Leonard Rizzo was guilty just from his interview. It seemed like he spoke in a really soft tone, as if he was feeling bad about lying in front of the camera. But who knows.

'It seemed like he spoke in a really soft tone, as if he was feeling bad about lying in front of the camera."


I got the impression that he spoke like that to appear harmless. I dont think someone who is capable of killing their wife and chopping her up would have any problem lying.

Maybe you're right. Like I said, I don't know. Until this case is solved, it's all one big mystery.

Bumping this up in case anyone wants to read up on the Rizzo case.

This thread mentions wondering why the neighbors never mentioned hearing a woodchipper running, since they're loud, and the bone fragments are small and were suspected to have been put through such a device.

Well, I read an article that said among the items that the police confiscated from the back yard were tools (such as a saw and some kind of chopping instrument, I can't remember) and a garbage disposal.

If Leonard Rizzo used a garbage disposal instead of a woodchipper, that woud explain the larger bones, 3", and bags of human flesh.

When Helle Craft's husband put her through a woodchipper, he first froze her body, then chainsawed it into large pieces and put them through the chipper. That actually made it easier for the chipper to work and the pieces were small. I think the largest they found were a tooth and a piece of a fingernail.

I'm thinking that this might not have been an option for Rizzo, living in warm San Antonio. He probably deboned the body, resulting in the bags of human flesh. Then used another method, besides a woodchipper to reduce the bones.

The garbage disposal (not installed in the house) was taken from his yard as evidence. Using a garbage disposal in a murder is not without precedent. Ed Kemper used one when he tried to discard his mother's larynx. I think Gary Heidnik also used a garbage disposal, but I'm not positive.

Has there been confirmation that there were 4 bodies, or just one? It's seems odd that DNA would show 4 bodies, then there's reports of only one.

how comes hes got 4 bodies in his backyard

Bumping this up in case anyone wants to read up on the Rizzo case.

This thread mentions wondering why the neighbors never mentioned hearing a woodchipper running, since they're loud, and the bone fragments are small and were suspected to have been put through such a device.

Well, I read an article that said among the items that the police confiscated from the back yard were tools (such as a saw and some kind of chopping instrument, I can't remember) and a garbage disposal.

If Leonard Rizzo used a garbage disposal instead of a woodchipper, that woud explain the larger bones, 3", and bags of human flesh.

When Helle Craft's husband put her through a woodchipper, he first froze her body, then chainsawed it into large pieces and put them through the chipper. That actually made it easier for the chipper to work and the pieces were small. I think the largest they found were a tooth and a piece of a fingernail.

I'm thinking that this might not have been an option for Rizzo, living in warm San Antonio. He probably deboned the body, resulting in the bags of human flesh. Then used another method, besides a woodchipper to reduce the bones.

The garbage disposal (not installed in the house) was taken from his yard as evidence. Using a garbage disposal in a murder is not without precedent. Ed Kemper used one when he tried to discard his mother's larynx. I think Gary Heidnik also used a garbage disposal, but I'm not positive.

wow you know WAYYYY too much info in my opinion, what were you doing the day monica rizzo disapeared?

wow you know WAYYYY too much info in my opinion, what were you doing the day monica rizzo disapeared?


Consulting with H.H. Holmes. ;)

i also think that her husband is the killer and i dont think that he did a good job covering it up either....what was so ridiculus was his explanation when the police found some blood splattered dry wall inside his house and he said...'basically i just got very upset about missing her and attempted to...beat up the house u might say....the house won...i got the worst of it' i mean come on how stupid do u think we are?? guilty guilty guilty!!!!!! maybe the son was involved to but maybe he felt guilty and had second thoughts so he made the anonymous phone calls to the police...hmm this is such an intriguing case i mean a woman who has a family and a secure job doesnt just get up from her desk one day and walk out on her life it just doesnt happen and her bones were found in HIS back garden.....as if he doesnt know what happened to her and what about the bones of the other poeple that were also discovered there hmmmm strange.....

Just to clarify, this murder was on the Bizzare Murders dvd. On the dvd is an extras part that talks about a couple of the murders on each dvd. On the extras it actually says the reason why they thought it was more than one persons bones in the backyard is because at the time the dna wasn't sufficently developed to be as conclusive as it is now. But after dna research was further developed they ran the dna from the bones again, and they were all Monica Rizzo's and no one elses.

As for the person that called...well...I always thought it might be the son, since he didn't exactly looked surprised at the cops showing up at his door (and funny enough, had extreme indifference to his dad having a "seizure" on the couch)

I never understood why UM said he was having a "seizure". Its like they were trying to cover for him. It was quite a coincidence of him having a seizure the same time the cops were there. I read an article that said the seizure was really a drug overdose. That makes more sense so why didn't UM just come out and tell us that.

Just to clarify, this murder was on the Bizzare Murders dvd. On the dvd is an extras part that talks about a couple of the murders on each dvd. On the extras it actually says the reason why they thought it was more than one persons bones in the backyard is because at the time the dna wasn't sufficently developed to be as conclusive as it is now. But after dna research was further developed they ran the dna from the bones again, and they were all Monica Rizzo's and no one elses.

As for the person that called...well...I always thought it might be the son, since he didn't exactly looked surprised at the cops showing up at his door (and funny enough, had extreme indifference to his dad having a "seizure" on the couch)

the actors aren't always an accurate portayal lol

So which LE dropped the ball on this? Why isn't this man facing murder charges?

As for the person that called...well...I always thought it might be the son, since he didn't exactly looked surprised at the cops showing up at his door (and funny enough, had extreme indifference to his dad having a "seizure" on the couch)

I personally think it was a neighbor that watched the whole thing. If it was the son, why wouldn't he just come forward directly to the police. I know he might have been scared of his father. But he would potentially be a key eyewitness to his father's disposal of his mothers body.

So which LE dropped the ball on this? Why isn't this man facing murder charges?

The person to blame is the anonymous caller for not coming forward.

Mastermind, you brought up a key point. Maybe one of the neighbours saw Leonard Rizzo disposing of Monica's body, and was intimidated by Leonard. Instead of going straight to the police, they chose to call the police anonymously. Now, they probably don't want anything to do with the case.

I personally think it was a neighbor that watched the whole thing. If it was the son, why wouldn't he just come forward directly to the police. I know he might have been scared of his father. But he would potentially be a key eyewitness to his father's disposal of his mothers body.



The person to blame is the anonymous caller for not coming forward.

I agree on both counts. I've always thought that either a neighbor saw this happened and is scared to come forward in fear of nothing happening to Leonard Rizzo, then he would know who ratted him out.

LE has done all they can at this point. I too think that the person to blame for lack of the case moving forward is whoever the caller is. Surely this person knows that the police will need more than an anonymous caller in order to make charges stick. Hopefully this person has the stones to come forward now since Rizzo has since been in jail for domestic abuse on his girlfriend.

Ok isn't it true that he didn't report her missing? What about her kids? Why didn't they say something? Just a weird family.

Ok isn't it true that he didn't report her missing? What about her kids? Why didn't they say something? Just a weird family.

I have always suspected that the caller was her son. He probably knows more than he has told.

I have always suspected that the caller was her son. He probably knows more than he has told.

Why wouldn;t he come forward, though?

Even if he is scared, he can still come forward, now as an adult.

He would have to know that his testimony would most likely lead to his father's arrest?

How old was the son? I have to assume the voice sounded more like an adult male.

He probably deboned the body, resulting in the bags of human flesh. Then used another method, besides a woodchipper to reduce the bones.

Wow, de-boning a body takes a sick, twisted individual. Leonard Rizzo is definitely guilty. I'm just wondering if his neighbors have ever been questioned about possibly hearing a wood-chipper or garbage disposal around the time Monika disappeared. Those things aren't exactly quiet, you know.

What's Leonard's current status? in jail? a free man?

I'd like more info on this case as well.

What's Leonard's current status? in jail? a free man?

I believe he was arrested within the last few years for domestic violence. Basically, he beat up his girlfriend. He has yet to be charged with any crime in the Monika Rizzo case.

I don't understand why he isn't in jail for Monika's murder. What other evidence do you need? His wife's remains (bone fragments) were found on HIS property in HIS backyard. IMHO that's more than enough to charge him with her murder. His defense at a trial would have to be able to convince a jury that someone else would have not only the access to his backyard but also have enough time to pull this off all the while not being seen by Rizzo himself or a neighbor. Open and shut case.

I don't understand why he isn't in jail for Monika's murder. What other evidence do you need? His wife's remains (bone fragments) were found on HIS property in HIS backyard. IMHO that's more than enough to charge him with her murder. His defense at a trial would have to be able to convince a jury that someone else would have not only the access to his backyard but also have enough time to pull this off all the while not being seen by Rizzo himself or a neighbor. Open and shut case.

Agreed. I know alot of people believe circumstantial evidence is not good enough to hold up in court but if there's so much of it, how could it not end up in court?? The burden of proof is then on the defendant.

I don't understand why he isn't in jail for Monika's murder. What other evidence do you need? His wife's remains (bone fragments) were found on HIS property in HIS backyard. IMHO that's more than enough to charge him with her murder. His defense at a trial would have to be able to convince a jury that someone else would have not only the access to his backyard but also have enough time to pull this off all the while not being seen by Rizzo himself or a neighbor. Open and shut case.

I think a lot of problems stem from the fact that they screwed up the DNA analysis and mistakenly thought the remains in the backyard belonged to four different people before they later determined they only belonged to Monika. That was incredibly sloppy investigative work and probably would have created a lot of reasonable doubt with the jury if they had tried to bring Leonard to trial. If the jury had heard about that DNA analysis screwup, there probably would have been too much doubt for them to convinct Leonard. Regardless of how guilty a guy looks, you can only charge him once, so you better have a pretty strong case and this one just had too many holes.

I think a lot of problems stem from the fact that they screwed up the DNA analysis and mistakenly thought the remains in the backyard belonged to four different people before they later determined they only belonged to Monika. That was incredibly sloppy investigative work and probably would have created a lot of reasonable doubt with the jury if they had tried to bring Leonard to trial. If the jury had heard about that DNA analysis screwup, there probably would have been too much doubt for them to convinct Leonard. Regardless of how guilty a guy looks, you can only charge him once, so you better have a pretty strong case and this one just had too many holes.

I also think another loophole is that since they only found her leg bone, it's still technically possible that she's alive. I guess Leonard Rizzo's explanation for this was that his wife decided to saw her own leg off and then bury it in the backyard before she decided to leave him.

I'm not saying that I think Leonard Rizzo is innocent, but he seemed much more sincere about missing his wife than many suspected spouses on UM. My personal feeling is that he knows more than he is telling, but may not be responsible for Monica Rizzo's death.

I think it's very possible that her son had a bigger hand in things than was revealed in the segment. I noticed that he was not interviewed for the segment even though he was there when police first came to investigate the backyard. The bones in the backyard came from multiple people including Monica. There was also a "bag of human flesh" and some sort of animal bones. The barbecue grill had many hand bones in it that came from who knows how many hands. This sounds to me like the possible experimentation of a budding sociopath rather than the work of a man who had been married for many years and maybe had been involved in some domestic abuse.

Also, according to the segment, Monica's son claimed he hadn't seen her in almost a week when they first came to the house during Leonard's siezure, but there was no indication that he was worried or concerned. It just strikes me as fishy that he was not interviewed about the issue.

Monica's co-workers were evidently worried enough to send the police by who suspected a dometic abuse situation but no one appeared to tell us what the reasons were to suspect anything. No testimony that Monica had told anyone about abuse. What if the son was abusing and terrorizing his parents? People are much less likely to tell anyone about or report cases of their children abusing them.

It has been mentioned above that the son may have been the caller to the police to try to expose his father's deeds. What if the son was the caller trying to torment and terrorize his father by hanging his own crimes around his father's neck?

Not sure if this is the case but I do find it to be a possible angle to look at.

I'm not saying that I think Leonard Rizzo is innocent, but he seemed much more sincere about missing his wife than many suspected spouses on UM. My personal feeling is that he knows more than he is telling, but may not be responsible for Monica Rizzo's death.

I think it's very possible that her son had a bigger hand in things than was revealed in the segment. I noticed that he was not interviewed for the segment even though he was there when police first came to investigate the backyard. The bones in the backyard came from multiple people including Monica. There was also a "bag of human flesh" and some sort of animal bones. The barbecue grill had many hand bones in it that came from who knows how many hands. This sounds to me like the possible experimentation of a budding sociopath rather than the work of a man who had been married for many years and maybe had been involved in some domestic abuse.

Also, according to the segment, Monica's son claimed he hadn't seen her in almost a week when they first came to the house during Leonard's siezure, but there was no indication that he was worried or concerned. It just strikes me as fishy that he was not interviewed about the issue.

Monica's co-workers were evidently worried enough to send the police by who suspected a dometic abuse situation but no one appeared to tell us what the reasons were to suspect anything. No testimony that Monica had told anyone about abuse. What if the son was abusing and terrorizing his parents? People are much less likely to tell anyone about or report cases of their children abusing them.

It has been mentioned above that the son may have been the caller to the police to try to expose his father's deeds. What if the son was the caller trying to torment and terrorize his father by hanging his own crimes around his father's neck?

Not sure if this is the case but I do find it to be a possible angle to look at.

While that is an interesting angle, Leonard Rizzo was shot (but lived) by police in a shoot out after he tried to murder his new girlfriend. That should speak volumes about the character of Leonard Rizzo. He didn't come across as sincere in his interview on UM to me, more nervous than anything.

The bones in the backyard came from multiple people including Monica. There was also a "bag of human flesh" and some sort of animal bones. The barbecue grill had many hand bones in it that came from who knows how many hands. This sounds to me like the possible experimentation of a budding sociopath rather than the work of a man who had been married for many years and maybe had been involved in some domestic abuse.

There's always been much confusion about this, but it's pretty much been officially concluded that there was a major DNA analysis screwup and that the bones in the backyard ONLY belonged to Monica Rizzo and NOT multiple people. The version of this segment they show on the Bizzare Murders DVD still ends with the belief that the bones belonged to four different people, but on the commentary track, the producers confirm that further analysis determined that they only belonged to Monica. I believe the UM website entry on this case doesn't even mention the "multiple people" angle any more.

If there really were remains of several different people in that backyard, that would put this case an entirely different light and cast a bit of doubt on Leonard since he was known to be a wife abuser, not a serial killer. However, since Monica appears to be the only victim here, I can easily believe that Leonard was responsible.

There's always been much confusion about this, but it's pretty much been officially concluded that there was a major DNA analysis screwup and that the bones in the backyard ONLY belonged to Monica Rizzo and NOT multiple people. The version of this segment they show on the Bizzare Murders DVD still ends with the belief that the bones belonged to four different people, but on the commentary track, the producers confirm that further analysis determined that they only belonged to Monica. I believe the UM website entry on this case doesn't even mention the "multiple people" angle any more.

If there really were remains of several different people in that backyard, that would put this case an entirely different light and cast a bit of doubt on Leonard since he was known to be a wife abuser, not a serial killer. However, since Monica appears to be the only victim here, I can easily believe that Leonard was responsible.

Egad...that is one huge DNA screw-up!

I'm not saying that I think Leonard Rizzo is innocent, but he seemed much more sincere about missing his wife than many suspected spouses on UM. My personal feeling is that he knows more than he is telling, but may not be responsible for Monica Rizzo's death.

I think it's very possible that her son had a bigger hand in things than was revealed in the segment. I noticed that he was not interviewed for the segment even though he was there when police first came to investigate the backyard. The bones in the backyard came from multiple people including Monica. There was also a "bag of human flesh" and some sort of animal bones. The barbecue grill had many hand bones in it that came from who knows how many hands. This sounds to me like the possible experimentation of a budding sociopath rather than the work of a man who had been married for many years and maybe had been involved in some domestic abuse.

Also, according to the segment, Monica's son claimed he hadn't seen her in almost a week when they first came to the house during Leonard's siezure, but there was no indication that he was worried or concerned. It just strikes me as fishy that he was not interviewed about the issue.

Monica's co-workers were evidently worried enough to send the police by who suspected a dometic abuse situation but no one appeared to tell us what the reasons were to suspect anything. No testimony that Monica had told anyone about abuse. What if the son was abusing and terrorizing his parents? People are much less likely to tell anyone about or report cases of their children abusing them.

It has been mentioned above that the son may have been the caller to the police to try to expose his father's deeds. What if the son was the caller trying to torment and terrorize his father by hanging his own crimes around his father's neck?

Not sure if this is the case but I do find it to be a possible angle to look at.

Completely disagree. Are you saying that someone else killed Monika Rizzo, then dismembered her body, BBQ'd her remains and THEN scattered them all over the backyard? If so, that could take days to carry out. Where was Leonard and/or his son during this time of a brutal murder and dismemberment?

I highly doubt that her son is responsible for the murder. Sure he may have helped his father get rid of the bones, but I doubt that as well. Leonard was recently arrested for domestic abuse on his girlfriend. It seems to me that if their son knew his father killed his mom and was the mystery caller, he would have told police while Leonard was in jail that way Leonard couldn't hurt him as backlash and that way the police could have kept him jailed unto charging him.

While that is an interesting angle, Leonard Rizzo was shot (but lived) by police in a shoot out after he tried to murder his new girlfriend. That should speak volumes about the character of Leonard Rizzo. He didn't come across as sincere in his interview on UM to me, more nervous than anything.

As true it may be, that cannot be used against him in a court of law as it has nothing to do with the case of the murder of Monica Rizzo.

Sounds like the anonymous caller was a family friend....

http://bbs.clutchfans.net/archive/index.php/t-61451.html

Holy sh1t! Has anyone else read this? That gives an answer to who the anonymous caller is. Its a family friend who saw the jawbone of Monika.

I have now...wow! It identifies the caller!

I never thought I'd see a more guilty person than Leonard Rizzo on Unsolved Mysteries. Hell, he's even guiltier than Don Dixon in the Eric Tamiyasu case. This guy is just....man. He as guilty as can be and then some.

In the entire interview he looked so untrustworthy, especially when talking about his wife's remains. In that one segment, he kept fumbling his words, talking in fragments, and just acting so damn suspiciously. I don't know whether or not to go up to him in person and put him in handcuffs or fake a testimony to bring him to justice.

His case is too silly to me. He ACTUALLY tried telling the UM viewers that over a hundred bone fragments and even human flesh was strewn all over his backyard, including in his BBQ grill, and that somehow he knew nothing about it? So some guy was just able to sneak into his backyard, debone and cut up a human body, and bury it, all while being undetected by the Rizzos and his neighbors? Get the **** outta here.

I always thought something was up with the son too. I think he knows his dad killed his mom, but maybe to scared to say something.

I'm still trying to figure out how this guy got off scott free? All those bones? What the hell? Huge miscarriage of justice. And why weren't any of Monica Rizzo's family interviewed for the UM segment? Only Leonard? Doesn't her family feel he did it? Where is the justice? I know if she were my daughter or sister I would be pissed. :confused:

I'm still trying to figure out how this guy got off scott free? All those bones? What the hell? Huge miscarriage of justice. And why weren't any of Monica Rizzo's family interviewed for the UM segment? Only Leonard? Doesn't her family feel he did it? Where is the justice? I know if she were my daughter or sister I would be pissed. :confused:

I doubt Leonard Rizzo will ever be convicted of this because if he were charged, all his attorney's would have to use is the original report of all the bone fragments saying none of them were Monika's and then only after re-testing did they confirm them to be her's. That's reasonable doubt right there.

I am always fascinated with the unknown. The monica rizzo murder sparked some interest with me, especially how it is still unsolved today. The DNA testing was in infancy states in the late 1990s as such it was prone to mistakes. I am more surprised by the lack of police response, especially on handling the crime scene. The house and the area should have been sealed of as part of the investigation and it appears that was not handled properly. The police officer checking up on Monica and seen she had bruises then should have done another follow up.

It could be also there is more to the story then what is told. Police are not at liberty to divulge information that is evidence. We also do not know if Mr Rizzo was on surveillance and/or had wire tapping done.

I really like to see unsolved mysteries comeback as it could help with cases like the Rizzo.

I just saw this segment at the forbidden site.

What a scary story. Who was the caller? Have the bones in the backyard been identified? I am pretty sure the husband was behind the murder.

I just saw this segment at the forbidden site.

What a scary story. Who was the caller? Have the bones in the backyard been identified? I am pretty sure the husband was behind the murder.


Police identified the caller as Robert Hakala, a friend of Leonard and Monika Rizzo's. He claimed to have noticed a strong odour coming from their backyard and later spotted a dog playing with a human jawbone, who Hakala believed belonged to Monika, owing to the similarity of the crooked lower teeth.

Forensics later identified all the bones in the backyard as belonging to Monika and no one else. It seems like a pretty cut-and-dried case of domestic murder. It would have been had forensics not mismanaged the initial tests. That resulted in police chasing down false leads and concentrating their resources on finding people that did not even exist.

In related news, Bill McKinney, Monika's father, has released a book about his daughter's murder, called The Raw Truth!. The book is available for purchase from his website and from Amazon.

Police identified the caller as Robert Hakala, a friend of Leonard and Monika Rizzo's. He claimed to have noticed a strong odour coming from their backyard, and later spotted a dog playing with a human jawbone...

My God. :(

Police identified the caller as Robert Hakala, a friend of Leonard and Monika Rizzo's. He claimed to have noticed a strong odour coming from their backyard, and later spotted a dog playing with a human jawbone, whom Hakala believed belonged to Monika, owing to the similarity of the crooked lower teeth.

Forensics later identified all the bones in the backyard as belonging to Monika, and no one else. It seems like a pretty cut-and-dried case of domestic murder. It would have been had forensics not mismanaged the initial tests. That resulted in police chasing down false leads and concentrating their resources on finding people that did not even exist.

In related news, Bill McKinney, Monika's father, has released a book about his daughter's murder, called The Raw Truth!. The book is available for purchase from his website and from Amazon.
Wow, thanks for this information.

I must say, the UM segment was a little misleading. The caller sounded like someone who witnessed the crime / he was pretty confident.

Did the husband never get charged? Even when they confirmed that all of the bones belonged to Monika?

Wow, thanks for this information.

I must say, the UM segment was a little misleading. The caller sounded like someone who witnessed the crime / he was pretty confident.

Did the husband never get charged? Even when they confirmed that all of the bones belonged to Monika?


Wow, A BIG Thank you to Iceberry for the update !! This is a case that had intrigued me for years since I first watched it !!


First, the Big question that needs to be asked. Exactly what dah hell has the Forensic department of San Antonio Texas been doing ??!!

It is my honest opinion that someone in the Forensics department has been sleeping and needs to be fired on dah spot !! To identify the bone fragments as belonging to different people and not the victim is one hell of a screw up !! And not once, but twice did the their testing come back with different results !! JESUS CHRIST !!!

If their DNA testing is that inaccurate, God knows how many innocent men were convicted and worse, sentenced to death/ life imprisonment because of bongled up forensic results !!


The San Antonio police are sleeping on the job too !! How is it that the bone fragments have been laying there all this while and yet they said they found nothing the first time they went there ?!



To me it seems obvious Leonard Rizzo was his wife's killer. Why would anybody have his wife missing and not report it to the police? He said he didn't do so because he had faith in his wife. What nonsense !! That sounds almost like he didn't even care if his wife was around or not. He didn't even want to bother to call up the authorities, at least to check if she was in any kind of trouble. Nothing.

He had so much faith in her that he got so agitated over her disappearance he bashed up his house? This just doesn't add up.


Plus, what are the chances anybody could have buried a pile of bones in your backyard without you noticing? Certainly you would have picked up the odour.


Leonard Rizzo is LYING.


HE MURDERED HIS WIFE, MONIKA RIZZO.

First, the Big question that needs to be asked. Exactly what dah hell has the Forensic department of San Antonio Texas been doing ??!!

It is my honest opinion that someone in the Forensics department has been sleeping and needs to be fired on dah spot !! To identify the bone fragments as belonging to different people and not the victim is one hell of a screw up !! And not once, but twice did the their testing come back with different results !! JESUS CHRIST !!!

If their DNA testing is that inaccurate, God knows how many innocent men were convicted and worse, sentenced to death/ life imprisonment because of bongled up forensic results !!

Just to clarify, this murder was on the Bizzare Murders dvd. On the dvd is an extras part that talks about a couple of the murders on each dvd. On the extras it actually says the reason why they thought it was more than one persons bones in the backyard is because at the time the dna wasn't sufficently developed to be as conclusive as it is now. But after dna research was further developed they ran the dna from the bones again, and they were all Monica Rizzo's and no one elses.

DNA is very degraded in burned bones. It's not that the Office of the M.E. "screwed up". The technology needed to easily extract poor DNA samples from damaged tissue and provide accurate identification wasn't available in 1997. DNA extraction isn't a snappy, instantaneous process that works with every available tissue sample.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office is among the best in the entire country, actually. They did the right thing by re-testing the samples once the technology had advanced and retracted their original findings. What more can be asked of it?

DNA is very degraded in burned bones. It's not that the Office of the M.E. "screwed up". The technology needed to easily extract poor DNA samples from damaged tissue and provide accurate identification wasn't available in 1997. DNA extraction isn't a snappy, instantaneous process that works with every available tissue sample.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office is among the best in the entire country, actually. They did the right thing by re-testing the samples once the technology had advanced and retracted their original findings. What more can be asked of it?


If you say so...

But I have the segment in store and no where in it was that any mention that the bones were roasted.

Just because some bones were found in the BBQ grill of the Rizzos' backyard, doesn't mean that this is the case.


By the way. have they identified just what kind of tool/machinery was used to chop up Monica Rizzos' body?

If you say so...

But I have the segment in store and no where in it was that any mention that the bones were roasted.

Just because some bones were found in the BBQ grill of the Rizzos' backyard, doesn't mean that this is the case.


By the way. have they identified just what kind of tool/machinery was used to chop up Monica Rizzos' body?

It doesn't matter. Anything that could cause degradation--including being left outside, buried, or exposed to the sun--could've degraded the DNA to the point that a full profile would've been very difficult to extract in 1997. The technology simply was not there. As well--and I failed to mention this initially--the M.E. usually doesn't run genetic testing. State or private laboratories do, after they've received samples from institutions like police departments, coroners, and M.E. offices. In this particular case, it was GeneScreen of Dallas. It was among the first labs to ever perform DNA tests for law enforcement.

Did the husband never get charged? Even when they confirmed that all of the bones belonged to Monika?

To date, Leonard has never been charged with Monika's murder. However, in 2000, Leonard was sentenced to a two-year prison term for an aggravated assault on his then-girlfriend, Susan McDaniel. With the pair high on methamphetamines and deprived of sleep, Susan claimed Leonard became paranoid, and he beat her with a hammer after accusing her of knowing where Monika was (it would be a month later that Monika's bones would be identified from the backyard). Susan also stated to police that Leonard threatened to "kill her, chop her up, put her in a garbage bag and bury her."

It did not end there. When Susan, accompanied by police, went back the next day to retrieve her belongings from the mobile home, Leonard became difficult, and the whole thing erupted into a stand-off. After four hours, Leonard fired a gun, pointed it at a police officer, and a SWAT officer shot Leonard in the stomach. The latter recovered enough to be charged and sentenced to prison.


By the way. have they identified just what kind of tool/machinery was used to chop up Monica Rizzos' body?

I do not know if the police ever determined what the weapon was, but they did collect a bench grinder and a garbage disposal among the 200-300 pieces of evidence they collected from the home.

Holy crap, some GREAT info about this "Susan" woman and Leonard and their relationship. WOW! Thanks for posting, guys! God I hate men who beat on women....actually, I hate anyone who beats on anyone (especially if they are weaker than the abuser, like women and children). This guy sounds like Stephen Marfeo....and they both got away with murder!!!!!!!!!!!

Police identified the caller as Robert Hakala, a friend of Leonard and Monika Rizzo's. He claimed to have noticed a strong odour coming from their backyard, and later spotted a dog playing with a human jawbone, whom Hakala believed belonged to Monika, owing to the similarity of the crooked lower teeth.

Forensics later identified all the bones in the backyard as belonging to Monika, and no one else. It seems like a pretty cut-and-dried case of domestic murder. It would have been had forensics not mismanaged the initial tests. That resulted in police chasing down false leads and concentrating their resources on finding people that did not even exist.

In related news, Bill McKinney, Monika's father, has released a book about his daughter's murder, called The Raw Truth!. The book is available for purchase from his website and from Amazon.



Wow, I did not know this! Thanks for the info!

Bump.

I ordered Bill McKinney's book off of Amazon and am just now in the final stretches of reading it. I am now absolutely convinced of Leonard's guilt.

Did UM happen to mention that Leonard (Lenny as he was called) told people that Monika's life insurance policy was approximately $10,000? In actuality, it was more like $110,000. Lenny would have received the entire amount but for his youngest son Vincent challenging it in court. They settled out of court with Lenny and Vincent splitting the cash 60/40, less attorney's fees. Vincent has not spoken to his father since, at least at the time the book went to print.

Lenny additionally tried to collect Monika's employment benefits after her death. When the employer denied him, he sued them and lost, given that he was a suspect in her death.

Monika's father conducted an investigation of his own and left his name/number for co-workers of Monika to call him. He got MANY interviews from people who stated that Monika would come to work with bruises and black eyes-- always giving some lame excuse for how she got them. She had always been a stellar employee, but her supervisors had noticed that her quality of work had been slacking in the months before her death. She had to be asked to leave her office one night by a custodian who wanted to lock the building. The custodian later said that he believed Monika did not want to go home that night. She had been increasingly stressed and had lost a considerable amount of weight before her murder. People estimated she was at approximately 85 pounds.

Lenny claimed that he and his wife were "deeply in love," yet he had several affairs that have been discovered and was making plans to build a new life with one of his girlfriends (who was incarcerated) while he was still professing to the media that his wife was "only missing."

When you look at the totality of the circumstances, adding in all the things that UM left out in its production of Monika's segment, I have no doubt that Lenny is guilty of her murder.

Bump.

I ordered Bill McKinney's book off of Amazon and am just now in the final stretches of reading it. I am now absolutely convinced of Leonard's guilt.

Did UM happen to mention that Leonard (Lenny as he was called) told people that Monika's life insurance policy was approximately $10,000? In actuality, it was more like $110,000. Lenny would have received the entire amount but for his youngest son Vincent challenging it in court. They settled out of court with Lenny and Vincent splitting the cash 60/40, less attorney's fees. Vincent has not spoken to his father since, at least at the time the book went to print.

Lenny additionally tried to collect Monika's employment benefits after her death. When the employer denied him, he sued them and lost, given that he was a suspect in her death.

Monika's father conducted an investigation of his own and left his name/number for co-workers of Monika to call him. He got MANY interviews from people who stated that Monika would come to work with bruises and black eyes-- always giving some lame excuse for how she got them. She had always been a stellar employee, but her supervisors had noticed that her quality of work had been slacking in the months before her death. She had to be asked to leave her office one night by a custodian who wanted to lock the building. The custodian later said that he believed Monika did not want to go home that night. She had been increasingly stressed and had lost a considerable amount of weight before her murder. People estimated she was at approximately 85 pounds.

Lenny claimed that he and his wife were "deeply in love," yet he had several affairs that have been discovered and was making plans to build a new life with one of his girlfriends (who was incarcerated) while he was still professing to the media that his wife was "only missing."

When you look at the totality of the circumstances, adding in all the things that UM left out in its production of Monika's segment, I have no doubt that Lenny is guilty of her murder.
The segment already didn't do him any favors, so it's pretty unsurprising to hear he's worse. I think this is a domestic violence turned murder. Maybe he didn't mean to do it, but all signs point to her being abused. Even when the police officer came to check on her, she appeared to be battered and bruised. It's possible a beating led to murder, either intentionally or unintentionally (the life insurance makes me think that premeditated murder is a strong possibility). Sadly, I think Leonard got away with it because of the crazy way he disposed of her body. Using a wood chipper or whatever tool he did led to the DNA mixup fiasco and the belief that there were multiple bodies only slowed the investigation.

This is an appalling crime, and I hope there is justice someday.

Bump.

I ordered Bill McKinney's book off of Amazon and am just now in the final stretches of reading it. I am now absolutely convinced of Leonard's guilt.

Did UM happen to mention that Leonard (Lenny as he was called) told people that Monika's life insurance policy was approximately $10,000? In actuality, it was more like $110,000. Lenny would have received the entire amount but for his youngest son Vincent challenging it in court. They settled out of court with Lenny and Vincent splitting the cash 60/40, less attorney's fees. Vincent has not spoken to his father since, at least at the time the book went to print.

Lenny additionally tried to collect Monika's employment benefits after her death. When the employer denied him, he sued them and lost, given that he was a suspect in her death.

Monika's father conducted an investigation of his own and left his name/number for co-workers of Monika to call him. He got MANY interviews from people who stated that Monika would come to work with bruises and black eyes-- always giving some lame excuse for how she got them. She had always been a stellar employee, but her supervisors had noticed that her quality of work had been slacking in the months before her death. She had to be asked to leave her office one night by a custodian who wanted to lock the building. The custodian later said that he believed Monika did not want to go home that night. She had been increasingly stressed and had lost a considerable amount of weight before her murder. People estimated she was at approximately 85 pounds.

Lenny claimed that he and his wife were "deeply in love," yet he had several affairs that have been discovered and was making plans to build a new life with one of his girlfriends (who was incarcerated) while he was still professing to the media that his wife was "only missing."

When you look at the totality of the circumstances, adding in all the things that UM left out in its production of Monika's segment, I have no doubt that Lenny is guilty of her murder.

Yeah he is guilty. He lies on the segment multiple times. I wonder if he did not fake that seizure when the police showed. Also I wonder if his son is the one that called the police. Since there was violent domestic abuse I assume the son knew about it but maybe did not want to testify to the authorities. It's a shame with all that evidence that there is not enough to charge him.

I've always been very disturbed by this case. I know it's not fair to make assumptions, but I personally think it's obvious based on his tone and demeanor in the segment that he's lying through his teeth.

Not to mention the mere fact that her bones were found scattered throughout their backyard. There is only one way that could have happened: someone in their house had to have done it. I'm presuming he thought that if he scattered the bones around the yard in little pieces that they'd go unnoticed and eventually sink into the ground. He probably didn't think the police would ever end up searching the yard.

Leonard is guilty as sin,but it seems like the police in this case bungled up evidence too much to ever get a conviction.

Completely guilty. Aside from the abundance of circumstances that point to him being responsible you simply just don't get human remains in your yard without your knowledge, especially not in the condition hers were in.

Leonard Rizzo must have the best lawyer in the world, or San Antonio has the most inept police force / district attorney in the world. A grand jury would have surely indited him.

The Monika Rizzo Case Wasn’t “Unsolvable” It Was Mishandled

I understand the legal standard for criminal charges, but I still struggle to accept how the Monika Rizzo case ended with no accountability.

Monika disappears after concerning behavior at work—leaving her purse behind, never returning, and prompting coworkers to request a police welfare check because they feared for her safety. She vanishes for weeks. Later, her remains—bone fragments—are found in her husband’s backyard.

That alone may not be enough for a conviction, but it should have been enough to aggressively pursue a homicide case. Instead, the investigation stalled.

The idea that someone else murdered Monika, accessed her husband’s private backyard, concealed her remains there, and did so without being seen by her husband, neighbors, or their children stretches credibility. Yet that’s the “reasonable doubt” scenario the system defaults to when early investigative failures leave too many unanswered questions.

This wasn’t a lack of common sense it was a lack of preserved evidence:
• No immediate crime-scene control
• No timely forensic processing
• No narrowed timeline
• No reconstruction of her final days

By the time remains were discovered, the evidentiary window had closed.

The justice system is designed to prevent wrongful convictions, and that matters but this case illustrates the other side of that coin: when investigations fail early, even the most obvious suspect can become legally untouchable.

This doesn’t mean Monika received justice.
It means the system failed to build a case strong enough to deliver it.

And that failure deserves just as much scrutiny as the crime itself.

Found this (https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/05/03/the-bone-yard-who-killed-monika-rizzo-south-texas-crime-stories-episode-2/) article from 2022 and sadly, I do not think this case will ever see a resolution:

Meanwhile, in 2022, SAPD said the case is still open but there’s no new information. The original detective who handled the case has retired and his original case notes are no longer available.

Atrocious police work is why this case was never solved. Maybe Leonard Rizzo was friends with the right person, but this is one of the more slam dunk cases in UM history.

I had conversations with the son Vince Rizzo on another UM message forum, as he was leaving public comments a decade ago. I get the feeling that his mothers death destroyed him, and he was never the same.