Northbrook Murder Suspect Added To Most Wanted List

NORTHBROOK, IL — With the help of the Northbrook Police Department, John Panaligan has been added to the United States Marshals Service's 15 Most Wanted fugitive list. The manhunt for Panaligan, 54, accused of murdering attorney Victor Jigar Patel in his Northbrook office in 2016, has intensified with Wednesday's announcement according to law enforcement officials.

A reward of up to $25,000 is being offered for information directly leading to his arrest, according to a release from the U.S. Marshals.

Patel, 36, was found strangled to death on Dec. 7, 2016. At the time, he was representing plaintiffs suing Panaligan in civil court. According to police, Panaligan lured the victim to his law office by scheduling an appointment using an alias. Authorities believe Panaligan showed up wearing a disguise, which was captured on nearby security cameras, and then killed the victim in his office.

Two days later, Panaligan was detained at the Canadian border for smuggling a firearm into Canada, according to police. He was eventually allowed to return to the U.S. where he was interviewed by Northbrook Police in relation to Patel’s death. During the investigation, authorities executed multiple search warrants of Panaligan’s belongings and property.

International Manhunt For Northbrook Murder Suspect

Evidence collected eventually gave authorities reason to believe Panaligan was the prime suspect in Patel’s murder, according to police. However, Panaligan fled to Mexico before he could be arrested. On Feb. 8, 2017, an arrest warrant was issued for Panaligan for first-degree murder.

"This senseless crime took the life of a man who was a husband and a father to two small children," U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington said in a release. "The U.S. Marshals and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will use every available resource to bring John Panaligan to face justice for the heinous allegations involving the murder of Victor Jigar Patel."

Officials from the Northbrook Police Department agreed and added, "The Northbrook Police are
relentless in the pursuit of justice and in the search for John Panaligan, who must answer for this crime that widowed a spouse, and deprived two young children of their father."

Due to Panaligan’s international ties and dual citizenship between the U.S. and the Republic of the Philippines, authorities believe he could be anywhere, and may be receiving assistance from family and friends to elude capture, according to the release

"We are absolutely resolute in our commitment to bringing Panaligan to justice," said Diego Grimaldo, commander of the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, which adopted the fugitive investigation from the Northbrook Police Department on Feb. 8, 2017. “With our law enforcement partners, both here and abroad, we will leave no stone unturned until he is behind bars."

Panaligan is described as a 5-foot, 5 inches, of Asian descent, weighing approximately 150 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. His last known address was in Aurora, but he also owns property in the city of Tuy, in the Philippine province of Batangas, where his brother-in-law is mayor, police said.

Anyone with information should notify the agency at the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the Communications Center at 1-877-WANTED-2, online via the web, or an app at www.usmarshals.gov/tips. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at www.usmarshals.gov.