Theresa Urban | Homicide Watch Chicago

Robert Danno gets life in prison for strangling his wife and mother-in-law, burning their bodies in a car

Jeff Mayes — Tue, 26 Jan 2016 16:02:57 -0600

By JORDAN OWEN
Chicago Sun-Times Wire

Robert Danno | Cook County sheriff's office

A Southwest Side man was sentenced to life in prison Friday for strangling his wife and mother-in-law, putting their bodies in a vehicle, then setting it on fire at a suburban forest preserve in 2013.

Robert Danno, 52, pleaded guilty to two counts of murder at the Bridgeview Courthouse on Friday, according to Cook County court records.

Danno, with the help of 26-year-old Jose Fernando Martinez-Hernandez, strangled his wife, 51-year-old Mary Ann Urban-Danno, and then strangled his mother-in-law, 79-year-old Theresa Urban, inside the family home in the 5600 block of South Neenah, prosecutors said.

Jose Fernando Martinez-Hernandez | Cook County sheriff's office

They put the bodies inside Urban-Danno's PT Cruiser, drove it to a Palos Township forest preserve, and set it on fire on Sept. 21, 2013, authorities said. The car was still on fire when investigators arrived. Firefighters found the bodies after extinguishing the flames.

Judge Colleen Ann Hyland sentenced Danno to two life sentences for the killings, according to court records.

Martinez-Hernandez, a friend who had lived in the basement of the family home, is also charged with two counts of first-degree murder. He is next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 29.

Sheriff: Money may have been motive in strangling of wife, mother-in-law

John Carpenter — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 16:23:55 -0500

The car with the two bodies inside was still on fire when investigators arrived at the Palos Township forest preserve late Saturday night -- and the vehicle’s license plate immediately offered a clue to the car’s owner, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Both circumstances helped Cook County sheriff’s investigators quickly locate Robert Danno, 50, and Jose Fernando Martinez-Hernandez, 24, -- two men charged late Monday with strangling Danno’s wife and mother-in-law at their house in the 5600 block of South Neenah. Judge Kerry Kennedy ordered both men held without bond Tuesday in Bridgeview.

“This was one of those ones where we found ourselves questioning the planning and thought behind some of this,” Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told reporters Tuesday.

Danno also had burn marks on his arms when he was arrested at his home, Dart said.

Investigators say Danno, with Martinez-Hernandez’ help, strangled Danno’s wife, Mary Ann Urban-Danno, 51, and then Danno alone strangled his mother-in-law, Theresa Urban, Saturday morning inside the family home. Martinez-Hernandez is a friend of Danno’s who lived in the basement, Dart said.

Dart said it appears money is a possible motive in the case. Theresa Urban, who was 79, owned two properties in Lake Geneva and had more than $500, 000 in her bank accounts, Dart said. Investigators said it appears Urban-Danno was planning to divorce her husband of 11 years after the relationship had soured in recent years.

It wasn’t clear how long the alleged plan had been in place, but Dart said that after the two women had been strangled -- and after dark Saturday -- Urban-Danno’s body was put in a big black garbage can and her body was then placed in the back of her PT Cruiser. Danno and Martinez-Hernandez then allegedly covered the mother-in-law’s body with a blanket and also put it in the PT Cruiser, Dart said.

Danno then drove the PT Cruiser out to the forest preserve with Martinez-Hernandez following in Danno’s car, Dart said. The pair used gasoline they’d bought earlier to set the PT Cruiser on fire, Dart said.

Dart said both men have given statements to investigators.

Palos Fire Protection District firefighters found the bodies after extinguishing the flames, said Cook County Sheriff’s police spokesman Benjamin Breit.

An autopsy on Sunday determined both women died from strangulation and their deaths were ruled homicides, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

2 charged with killing mom, daughter, who were found in burned car

Sun-Times Media Wire — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 10:52:36 -0500

Two men were charged with strangling the wife and elderly mother of one of the men, police said Monday night.
The women’s bodies were found in the trunk of a burning car late Saturday in a Palos Township forest preserve.
Robert Danno, 50, and Jose Fernardo Martinez-Hernandez, 24, were charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, according to Cook County Sheriff’s police, who said the two men are not related.
Danno and Martinez-Hernandez are accused of murdering Danno’s wife, Mary Ann Urban-Danno, who was in her 50s, and her mother Theresa Urban, who was in her 70s, according to Cook County Sheriff’s police.
The women were strangled, then stuffed into the trunk of a car that was torched about 11:45 p.m. Saturday in the Cap Sauers Holdings Nature Preserve in the 11600 block of Ford Road in Palos Park, police said.
Palos Fire Protection District firefighters found the bodies after extinguishing flames coming from the burning Chrysler PT Cruiser, said Cook County Sheriff’s police spokesman Benjamin Breit. Both women were dead on the scene, authorities said.
A Sunday autopsy determined both women died from strangulation and their deaths were ruled homicides, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
Danno and Martinez-Hernandez are scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Tuesday morning at the Bridgeview Courthouse.