Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel was born on May 15, 1990, in Viramgam, Gujarat, India. In November 2013, he married Palak Patel, and the couple came together to visit relatives in the United States in September 2014. Bhadreshkumar was 24 at the time while Palak was 21.[2]
Murder
On the night of April 12, 2015, Bhadreshkumar and Palak were working a night shift at a Dunkin' Donuts in Hanover, Maryland. The store was owned by a relative of Bhadreshkumar whom the couple were visiting. Surveillance footage showed Bhadreshkumar and Palak walking together in the kitchen at around 9:30 p.m. before disappearing out of view behind some racks.[3] Moments later, Bhadreshkumar re-emerged without his wife, turned off an oven, and left the store.[3]
The body of 21-year-old Palak Patel was found later that night. She had been beaten to death and stabbed multiple times with a large kitchen knife. Investigators believe the couple had an argument, with Palak wanting to return to India and Bhadreshkumar wishing to remain in the U.S. instead.[4]
Aftermath
Customers arriving at the Dunkin' Donuts store grew concerned when no employees came to serve them. A police officer who happened to be near the store was approached by concerned customers and checked out the scene. Upon searching the store, the officer found Palak's body. Police then checked the surveillance video and realized the killer was Bhadreshkumar, who had vanished. Bhadreshkumar was not identified as the suspect until over an hour after the murder, giving him time to escape.[5]
After the murder of Palak, Bhadreshkumar fled the store and returned to his nearby apartment on foot. He took some personal items and then got a cab to a hotel near Newark Liberty International Airport. The taxi driver reported that Bhadreshkumar was very calm during the journey. He checked into a hotel in Newark and was seen on surveillance video at the counter paying in cash for a room. He checked out the following morning.[5]
Bhadreshkumar was last seen on the morning of April 13, 2015, around 10 a.m. at Newark Penn Station in New Jersey. He took a hotel shuttle to the station and has not been seen since.[6]
Investigation
FBI Most Wanted infographic of Patel
Authorities believe Bhadreshkumar could have fled the country or could be hiding with relatives. He had a visa to be in the U.S., but it had expired by the time he carried out the murder. A report stated that because of this, there was no indication he was able to legally leave the country.[4]
An investigation with Palak's family into the murder revealed that the last conversation she had with them was about wishing to return home to India. This call was made moments before Palak was murdered by her husband and had been overheard by him. Police believe that Bhadreshkumar murdered his wife for this reason.[5]
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