KCK police search for car possibly involved in Christmas Eve shooting of grandmother
Police have asked for the public’s help locating a suspect vehicle in the Christmas Eve fatal shooting of an 85-year-old woman in Kansas City, Kansas.
At a news conference Tuesday, the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department released images of a silver four-door sedan that detectives believe was involved in the killing of Patricia Panijan, who was struck by gunfire while watching TV with her husband.
Her husband, Joe Panijan, 86, was wounded when more than a dozen bullets riddled the front of their house in the 2900 block of North 73rd Place. But Pat, as friends and family called her, died at the scene.
Detectives now believe the suspects were driving a 2011 to 2014 Volkswagen, possibly a Passat or Jetta, said Nancy Chartrand, a police spokeswoman. The vehicle does not have a sunroof, she said.
“Police have had very few leads since the tragic event and are making a plea today to the public for their assistance with new tips and identifying the vehicle they believe suspects were driving that evening,” Chartrand said.
In addition to her husband, Pat Panijan left behind three daughters and grandchildren. Her killing shocked neighbors, including family members who take up four houses on the same block, and the Kansas City Croatian community.
In a previous interview, Panijan’s relatives said all her family can do is wait for answers. They said did not want her death to be in vain, and they wanted to help prevent others from dying.
“They’re trying to destroy what’s good, these people,” one of her daughters, Gina Dorough, told The Star. “But they’re not going to. We’re just going to get even stronger.”
Police urged anyone with information or who recognizes the vehicle to call the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers at 816-474-8477 or online at KCCrimestoppers.com.
This story was originally published February 15, 2022 at 11:01 AM.
