By:Robert Remler
Father helped son dispose of body, police say
A Keller Street man and his father were arrested and charged last week in connection with the disappearance and drug-related murder of a Mineola man in November.
Police say that Mark Petronio killed Jeffrey Walter on or about Nov. 3, after a fight in the basement of Petronio's home over payment for drugs. Petronio's father, Michael Petronio, helped the son dispose of the body, investigators said.
Mark Petronio, 36, was charged with second-degree murder, insurance fraud and tampering with evidence in the murder of Walter, 23, of Marcellus Road, Mineola. Petronio was arrested on Friday, March 9, in Astoria.
Michael Petronio, 53, was arrested in front of his home by Nassau County police. The elder Petronio was charged with drug possession, hindering the prosecution, insurance fraud and tampering with evidence. He did not resist, police said.
Walter's body was discovered buried beneath a patio in Patchogue on March 8.
According to police, the younger Petronio and Walter had been involved in drug deals. One such deal for ecstasy between Petronio and Walter in November went sour, and eventually led to the murder, said Lt. Frank Guidice of the Nassau County Homicide Squad. Once Petronio discovered Walter had shorted him on a $90,000 drug sale, a fight erupted in the basement of the Keller Street home, Guidice said. A previous deal between the two was valued at $70,000, according to police.
Police said Petronio, described as around 5 feet 11 inches tall and about 200 pounds, sprayed Mace at Walter before eventually kicking him to death. Police described Walter as around 6 feet tall, 175 pounds.
Police say that after the fight, Petronio put laundry bags over Walter's body and put him into a 1999 Jeep Cherokee. Petronio then drove the Jeep to a long-term parking field on Lefferts Boulevard near Kennedy Airport. "He felt it would buy him a little time, so he could finalize his plans for disposing of the body," Guidice said.
Shortly after parking the Jeep in the lot, police said, Petronio drove upstate to Newburgh, where his father worked at a car dealership. According to police, the two tried to bury the body in the upstate woods, but the ground was frozen, so Mark returned to Long Island.
"He owned a house in Patchogue," Guidice said. "He hired people to dig a hole for him. Once the body was buried, about two weeks after that, a patio was poured over the area where he buried the body."
Walter's mother reported her son's disappearance to police on Nov. 4.
Police spoke with associates of the missing man and ultimately gathered sufficient evidence, recovered the Jeep, and made the arrest. Guidice said Walter had told associates where he was going before disappearing on Nov. 3. Petronio initially denied he had seen Walter, but then changed his story. "Ultimately Mark said where he had buried Walter," said Guidice.
An investigation continues as to whether the Petronios were part of a larger gang distributing ecstasy in the area.
Both Petronios have previous arrest records. The father served jail time for a drug-related charge and the son served time for an assault. They were arraigned on March 10 in First District Court in Hempstead and sent to Nassau County Jail without bail. They were next scheduled to appear in court on March 14. The two have public defenders.
