Chiodo had been missing a week when authorities charged Donol Clark, 42, Saturday. Police confirm Gena Chiodo is dead, but no one knows where she is. Investigators say they arrested Clark Wednesday after they found evidence of foul play inside the home he shared with Chiodo.
Chiodo's friends say they felt all along that Clark was bad news for her, but it was still a shock to hear the news that she had been murdered.
"Clark has been charged with first -degree murder and concealment of a homicide," Calumet City Police Chief Edward Gilmore said at a Saturday night press conference.
The friends had been organizing search efforts to find Chiodo. Sunday, they said they would gather once again at the Knights of Columbus building at 10 a.m. to try and find her body and that they would not stop until they could lay her to rest.
"I regret to tell you that that we have yet to find Ms. Gena Chiodo," Gilmore said. "We will continue to look in places that leads take us in this investigation until we find her."
Police say Clark is not cooperating with the investigation.
"I'm going to search and search until we can find her," said Chiodo's friend, Pat Nasella. "We're going to continue."
This isn't the first time Clark has been behind bars.
In 1998, he was convicted in separate cases of residential burglary and armed robbery.
And police say in April of last year he was convicted of domestic battery involving another woman.
"We don't like him," said Sherry Nickias. "He hurt people. He hurt her."
Chiodo's friends and relatives say they long disapproved of their relationship.
"He kept her away from all her friends," said Donald Chiodo, Gena's father. "He had to be the center. He had to be everything."
Police say Clark has not been cooperative but declined to discuss the specifics of their case against him.
"There was significant evidence that made us believe it was more than just a missing person that occurred, and that's as much as I'm prepared to say at this time," Gilmore said.
"She was a wonderful person," Nasella said. "I loved her dearly. She was like a daughter. And it just kills me that she's gone."
Clark has retained attorney Michael O'Meara, who Saturday night declined to discuss his client's guilt or innocence, only to say, "We need to let the process take its course."
Clark was expected to appear in bond court Sunday.
