Penngrove homicide victim ‘a sweet little old lady who went to church’

A day after 84-year-old Olga Dinelli was found slain in the Penngrove farmhouse where she lived her entire life, her family struggled to reconcile what would have led someone to kill the gentle, churchgoing woman.

“She was just a sweet little old lady who went to church,” said her nephew Michael Dinelli of San Rafael. “She didn’t cause trouble; she didn’t do anything. I assume (they were after) money or something, but it doesn’t make any sense.”

Sonoma County sheriff’s officials said Friday they had no suspects in custody in the case. A Lexus presumed stolen from the Rose Avenue ranch after the slaying was recovered, but no further information was released.

A close family friend found Dinelli dead in her well-worn chair Thursday when he arrived to bring the newspaper, as he did each day, Dinelli’s nephew said.

Sonoma County sheriff’s officials identified Dinelli on Friday, a day after a frantic 911 phone call from the friend just before noon Thursday brought a large law enforcement response to the rural home. Sheriff’s officials did not declare her death a homicide until nearly 24 hours later.

No one has yet been detained or arrested in the case, according to Sonoma County sheriff’s spokeswoman Sgt. Cecile Focha. Investigators have shared very few details about the case, and have not said how the woman died. An autopsy took place Friday morning.

A red, two-door 1998 Lexus SC400 was missing from the property. Focha could not confirm Friday whether the vehicle was connected to the homicide.

Officials released a photograph of the same model car in the hope that someone might spot it and alert authorities. On Friday night, sheriff’s officials announced the car had been recovered but did not elaborate.

The home was “in complete disarray” and the caller noted the alarming sight of blood, according to the Sheriff’s Office. But Focha declined to elaborate on what detectives suspect took place at the home, including whether anything was taken. Focha said she did not know why detectives waited nearly 24 hours to declare the death a homicide.

Dinelli lived at the two-story home surrounded by horse pastures and old chicken houses with her brother, Larry Dinelli, 75. They converted several chicken houses on the property into long-term storage units they rented out, her nephew said.

Focha declined to say whether any of the renters are being investigated in the case.

Larry Dinelli, who retired after spending many years as a pressman at The Press Democrat’s printing plant in Rohnert Park, was away from home when his sister was killed. His son, Michael Dinelli, said it took several hours to reach his father and confirm he was unharmed. He said Larry Dinelli was devastated to learn of his sister’s death.

Michael Dinelli said that he was raised by his father and his aunt at the family’s Penngrove home. His mother died when he was young.

“Olga was a caretaker. She took care of her mother until she passed at 92. She took care of me. She took care of my dad, too,” Michael Dinelli said. “She was the one to do all the meals and keep everything going. It was a pretty simple life.”

Born to Giuseppe and Mary Dinelli, Olga was the eldest of four siblings. She is survived by her brother, Larry, and sisters, Anne and Rosemary Dinelli.

Dinelli was a devout Catholic and attended several churches, including St. James Catholic Church in Petaluma, her nephew said. The family at one time raised chickens on the property. Olga Dinelli worked for a residential property firm in Santa Rosa until retiring around 1980.

She cared deeply for animals, always inquiring about her nephew’s dogs and forging connections with the horses her family boarded for others on their property, her nephew said.

“She’d give them an apple every day,” Michael Dinelli said. “For her, that was a happy part of her day.”

Olga Dinelli died in the reclining chair where she rooted for her beloved 49ers football team and watched her favorite sitcoms, her nephew said.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I can’t see her being a target,” Michael Dinelli said.

Anyone with information about the case can call the Sheriff’s Office violent crimes team at 565-2185. Callers may remain anonymous.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Johnson at 521-5220 or julie.johnson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jjpressdem.