STATUS as of November 20, 2022:

UPDATE:

MURDER USA The Killer Next Door; Suspect Convicted in Vilardo Murders

ROCKVILLE, MD. — At a news conference held today, May 17, 2015, in Rockville, Md., police report the arrest of Scott Michael Tomaszewski for the murder of a Jody and Dick Vilardo. The suspect is 31-years-old and lives next door to the victims.

Police report that Tomaszewski was linked to the murder by a burglary to the victim’s house seventeen years ago. Police say that Tomaszewski had been house-sitting for the victims at the time of that burglary.  Police said another burglary to a home on the same street had taken place in early April of this year.

Police said that information about the suspect came just a few days ago.

“We believe the burglary occurred an hour or two after the Vilardo’s returned home,” said Capt. Thomas Manger.

“Montgomery County Police detectives have been in Juneau, Alaska for several days. We thought there might be a connection to the burglary to the Vilardo house,” said Manger.

Starks said about the family of the suspect, “He is on the cruise with his parents and siblings and one brother is at the home now.”

The Montgomery County Police sent detectives to Alaska to meet the cruise ship the suspect was on and working with Alaska police and the coast guard served search warrants on the cabin of Tomaszewski at the same time search warrants were served at his home in Rockville.

Montgomery County States Attorney John McCarthy said that evidence was recovered as a result of those searches which included items linking Tomaszewski to the burglary last month on Ridge Drive and to the murder.

“Blood soaked currency was recovered from the suspect, and he confessed,” said McCarthy.

“We do not have crimes like this here very often, and I want to commend the police department on this cross-continental arrest, due to the dedication of the Montgomery County Police. They have worked around the clock on this case.  The arrest warrant was served at yesterday morning in Alaska.

McCarthy stated that five counts had been issued against Tomaszewski for murder and burglary.

McCarthy explained that a suspect cannot contest any of the facts in the charges during the extradition process from Alaska to Maryland; only whether or not he is the person named. The incidents of suspects contesting an extradition are rare, and if he does not do so, in this case, Tomaszewski is expected to be in Maryland in a few days to appear before a District Court Judge for his initial hearing.

The Vilardo family issued a press release thanking the police officers and States Attorney. “For the past week, we have known the where, the when and the how, now we know the who.”  The family thanked officers and prosecutors for their diligence in pursuing the killer.

According to Maryland Court records, Tomaszewski, of 13205 Ridge Drive, Rockville – the address immediately across the street from the murder victim’s home – was charged with DUI by Montgomery County Police Officer J. Kroll on Feb. 25, 2012, at 3:04 am. He had been arrested at Great Seneca Highway and Key West Ave. while operating a 2001 Dodge. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and in District Court on Aug. 31, 2012, he entered a guilty plea and was fined $200. With a taxpayer-provided public defender representing him on the DUI charge, Montgomery County States Attorney John McCarthy dropped the DUI charge on Sept. 3, 2013.

On May 15, 2012, Tomaszewski was ticketed by Montgomery County Police Officer R. Townsend for driving on a suspended license and entered a guilty plea in District Court in Rockville on Feb. 20, 2014. He was fined $300 but failed to pay the fine.

On Jan 8, 2014, Tomaszewski was ticketed by Rockville City Police for failure to control his speed to avoid a collision. Court records show that he failed to appear in court for that charge on April 7, 2014.

Tomaszewski’s music interests, as displayed on his Facebook page reveals he is a fan of a band called “Killer Be Killed.”  He stated that he went to Wooten High School in Rockville, Md. and graduated in 2002.

Couple murdered in Glen Hills home

ROCKVILLE, MD. – A couple was found murdered at their home in the Glen Hills neighborhood located on the outskirts of Rockville, report Montgomery County Police.

Capt. Paul Starks said that the couple was found with severe trauma to the upper body, the woman inside and her husband in the backyard of the home.

Police said that on Sunday, May 10 at 12:18 p.m., 1st District officers responded to 13217 Ridge Drive for the report of two subjects discovered deceased by family members.

There was trauma to the upper portion of each victim’s body.  The victims are being identified as Richard Louis Vilardo, 65 years old and Julianne Humphries Vilardo, 67 years old.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the Vilardos had agreed to meet family on the morning of May 10. When the couple was late, family went to the home and found both victims deceased; family called police at 12:18 p.m.  The Vilardos were last known to be alive yesterday evening.

The victims will be transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore and autopsies will be performed.

Police say that the investigation is continuing and asks for anyone with information regarding the deaths of Richard and Julianne Vilardo is asked to contact the Montgomery County Police at 301.279.8000.

According to Maryland court records, Vilardo hasn’t been a party to any litigation or been charged with any crimes. He was cited for speeding in near Ocean City in Worcester County Md., in 2013.

According to the website for Vilardo’s business, he was formerly an executive with Marriott Corporation and currently was a founding partner and chief financial officer of Pinnacle Hotel Management.  The firm has developed or purchased more than 37 hotels.

The company operates two hotels in Maryland; the Residence Inn in Waldorf, Md., and the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Columbia, Md.  In Virginia, the firm operates the Washington Dulles Marriott Suites in Herndon, Va. The firm’s corporate headquarters is located in Royal Palm Beach, Florida.  The firm’s only project under development is a new Residence Inn at Orlando, Florida, set to open next month.

From the company website:

Pinnacle Hotel Management was founded in 1997 by Ron Franklin and Dick Vilardo to develop and manage Marriott and Hilton branded hotels. Their first project, the 123-room Courtyard Orlando East/UCF opened in June of 1997. Since that time they have developed or purchased 37 additional hotels including their most recent acquisition, the Boston Tewksbury TownePlace Suites. Pinnacle’s largest project to date is the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary, a 304-room, full-service hotel. The company manages its own hotels, as well as those owned by other companies. Pinnacle has completed 30 ground up hotel development projects in markets such as Washington, D.C., Florida, New England and California. Pinnacle has also successfully completed several brand conversion projects including the Courtyard Alexandria, Virginia, the Fairfield Inn and Suites Palm Beach, Florida Courtyard Key West and the Boston Courtyard Billerica/Bedford, Massachusetts.

In 2002, Franklin and Vilardo were joined by Steve Fairbanks as an investor and partner. Fairbanks has been instrumental in leading an aggressive acquisition and development strategy for the company. Pinnacle currently has a 138 suite Residence Inn by Marriott under construction in downtown Orlando and will begin a conversion of a 334 room hotel in Philadelphia to a Courtyard by Marriott. The Pinnacle Hotel Management portfolio includes over 4,000 rooms and annual sales in excess of $150 million.

Dick Vilardo, Chief Financial Officer / Principal

Dick Vilardo is President of RDA Investments and a founding owner of Pinnacle. Dick has spent more than 35 years in the hospitality industry, specializing in project analysis, finance and development. His broad range of experience includes hotel and tourism development for an international accounting and consulting firm, private real estate development and investment banking and a long association with Marriott. He has been an owner/franchisee of Marriott limited service hotels since 1990.

During his tenure with Marriott, he held positions in corporate planning, project finance, and real estate development. He held the role of Vice President of Development for the Northeast region before his departure. Working with the Marriott hotel marketing organization he developed a business relationship with Ron Franklin and together they were instrumental in Marriott’s rapid growth during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

Before forming RDA and Pinnacle in 1996 and 1997, Dick was a principal in a Chevy Chase, MD-based investment banking firm. Projects developed by the firm included a 600 room full-service Marriott and two limited service properties in suburban New York and the Bethesda Residence Inn (Vilardo and Franklin still retain an ownership interest in this property). Also, he acted as an advisor and asset manager for both public and privately held companies as well as some individual owners.

Dick holds an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA in Finance.