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{{short description|Indian fugitive (born 1990)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox FBI Ten Most Wanted
| name = Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel
| image = Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel FBI photo.jpg
| caption = Undated photograph of Patel
| image_size =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|5|15}}
| birth_place = [[Viramgam]], Gujarat, India
| birth_name =
| charge = *[[First-degree murder]]
*Second-degree Murder
*First-degree assault
*Second-degree assault
*Use of a dangerous weapon with intent to injure
*[[Unlawful flight to avoid prosecution]]
| reward = $1,000,000
| conviction =
| conviction_penalty =
| nationality =Indian
| race =
| gender = Male
| height = {{convert|5|ft|9|in|m}}
| weight = 165-170 lb
| spouse = {{marriage|Palak Patel|2013|2015|end=died}}
| parents =
| siblings =
| added_date = April 18, 2017
| remove_date =
| number = 514
| status = Currently on the FBI's top ten most wanted list
}}
'''Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel''' (born May 15, 1990) is an Indian [[fugitive]] wanted under suspicion of murdering his wife Palak Patel at a [[Dunkin' Donuts]] store in [[Hanover, Maryland]], in the [[United States]] on April 13, 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/two-years-on-the-run-for-the-murder-of-his-wife-fbi-puts-indian-man-on-it-s-top-10-most-wanted-list-275963.html |title=Two Years On The Run For The Murder Of His Wife, FBI Puts Indian Man On Its Top 10 'Most Wanted List' |newspaper=[[India Times]] |date=April 19, 2017 |access-date=August 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617121046/https://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/two-years-on-the-run-for-the-murder-of-his-wife-fbi-puts-indian-man-on-it-s-top-10-most-wanted-list-275963.html |archive-date=June 17, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> He was last seen at [[Pennsylvania Station (Newark)|Newark Penn Station]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]], the day after the killing. He was added to the [[FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives]] list on April 18, 2017. Bhadreshkumar was the [[FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, 2010s|514th fugitive to be placed]] on the [[FBI]]'s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.

==Background==
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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel|url=https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/bhadreshkumar-chetanbhai-patel|website=Federal Bureau of Investigation|publisher=U.S. Department of Justice|accessdate=April 18, 2017|language=en-us}}</ref>

==Killing<span class="anchor" id="Murder"></span>==
[[File:Dunkin' Donuts, Hanover.jpg|thumb|The [[Dunkin' Donuts]] in [[Hanover, Maryland]], where the killing took place]]
On the night of April 12, 2015, Bhadreshkumar and Palak were working a night shift at a Dunkin' Donuts located on [[Maryland Route 713|Arundel Mills Boulevard]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-04-11 |title=Justice denied in Dunkin' Donuts killing |url=https://www.wmar2news.com/local/justice-denied-in-dunkin-donuts-killing |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=WMAR 2 News Baltimore |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref name="video">{{cite news |date=April 12, 2015 |title=Surveillance: Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel & Palak Patel At Dunkin Donuts |url=https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/video/3316768-surveillance-bhadreshkumar-chetanbhai-patel-palak-patel-at-dunkin-donuts/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044350/https://baltimore.cbslocal.com/video/3316768-surveillance-bhadreshkumar-chetanbhai-patel-palak-patel-at-dunkin-donuts/ |archive-date=March 6, 2019 |access-date=March 4, 2019 |website=CBS Baltimore}}</ref> Moments later, Bhadreshkumar re-emerged without his wife, turned off an oven, and left the store.<ref name=video/>

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 [[United States|U.S.]] instead.<ref name=lm>{{cite news|title=FBI puts Indian who killed his wife in US on its 'Most Wanted List'|date=April 19, 2017|url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/Ih56XLfK09T4spWtPZmnxL/FBI-puts-Indian-who-killed-his-wife-in-US-on-its-Most-Wante.html|website=Live Mint|access-date=March 4, 2019|first=Lalit K|last=Jha}}</ref>

==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 likely Bhadreshkumar, who had vanished. Bhadreshkumar was not identified as the suspect until over an hour after the killing, giving him time to escape.<ref name=tcd>{{cite news|title=Public's Help Sought in Search For Man Wanted in Wife's Fatal Stabbing - Crime Watch Daily|date=February 8, 2016|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ZPjVFR8-Q|publisher=True Crime Daily|access-date=March 6, 2019}}</ref>

After the killing 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.<ref name=tcd/>

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.<ref>{{cite news|title=FBI Puts Gujarati Man On 'Most Wanted' List Over Wife's 'Brutal' Murder At Dunkin Donuts|date=April 19, 2017|url=https://www.ndtv.com/indians-abroad/indian-who-allegedly-killed-wife-inside-dunkin-donuts-kitchen-on-fbis-most-wanted-list-1683063|publisher=NDTV|access-date=March 4, 2019}}</ref>

==Investigation==
Authorities believe Bhadreshkumar could have fled the country or could be hiding with relatives. He had a [[Visa policy of the United States|visa]] to be in the [[United States|U.S.]], but [[Illegal_immigration_to_the_United_States#Visa_overstay|it had expired]] by the time he carried out the killing. A report stated that because of this, there was no indication he was able to legally leave the country.<ref name=lm/>

An investigation with Palak's family into the killing 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 killed and had been overheard by Bhadreshkumar. Police believe that Bhadreshkumar then argued with his wife and killed her for this reason.<ref name=tcd/>

Bhadreshkumar has connections in [[Canada]] and [[India]] and the U.S. states of [[New Jersey]], [[Kentucky]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], and [[Illinois]]. He is considered armed and extremely dangerous. A reward of up to $1,000,000 is available for information that leads to his whereabouts.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/latest-on-fbis-most-wanted-list-man-accused-of-killing-wife-in-md-doughnut-shop/2017/04/18/ae0a9816-2445-11e7-b503-9d616bd5a305_story.html|title=Latest on FBI's most wanted list: Man accused of killing wife in Md. doughnut shop|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|last=Bui|first=Lynh|date=April 18, 2017|access-date=August 19, 2018|url-access=limited}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=BHADRESHKUMAR CHETANBHAI PATEL |url=https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/bhadreshkumar-chetanbhai-patel |access-date=2023-05-26 |website=Federal Bureau of Investigation |language=en-us}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of fugitives from justice who disappeared]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/bhadreshkumar-chetanbhai-patel FBI profile]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTgkyjSV08g Wanted by the FBI: Top Ten Fugitive Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel - Youtube]
{{FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives by year}}

{{auth}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patel, Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai}}
[[Category:1990 births]]
[[Category:2015 murders in the United States]]
[[Category:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives]]
[[Category:Fugitives wanted by the United States]]
[[Category:Fugitives wanted on murder charges]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian criminals]]

Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel - Revision history

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