FBI Top Ten Most Wanted: Information on the whereabouts of Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel subject to reward

On what would have been her 32nd birthday, the memory of Palak Arvindbhai Patel is honored with a renewed plea for justice. Palak, a 21-year-old woman, was brutally murdered on April 12, 2015, allegedly by her husband, Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, at a Maryland donut shop where they both worked.

A decade later, Bhadreshkumar remains at large, listed on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, with a reward of up to $250,000 offered for information leading to his arrest.

Palak Patel was born on May 31, 1993, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Described as mature beyond her years, she was a caring and hardworking young woman with dreams of becoming a teacher. Her love for children and commitment to her family defined her life.

In November 2013, at age 20, Palak entered an arranged marriage with Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, then 23, also from Gujarat. The couple moved to the United States in September 2014, seeking a new life while working at a donut shop owned by a distant relative of Bhadreshkumar.

In the months leading up to her death, Palak was homesick and eager to return to India. Her parents, who visited the couple in March 2015, noticed nothing overtly unusual, though they later recalled that Bhadreshkumar never allowed Palak to be alone with them. Tragically, Palak would never see her homeland again.

On the night of April 12, 2015, Palak and Bhadreshkumar were working a 12-hour night shift at the donut shop. Surveillance footage captured the last moments of Palak’s life:

Bhadreshkumar, holding a cellphone on speaker, led her briskly to a storage area at the back of the store. Moments later, just before midnight, Bhadreshkumar allegedly stabbed Palak multiple times with an edged weapon in a violent and unprovoked attack.

Customers in the shop were unaware of the horror unfolding nearby.

After the murder, Bhadreshkumar fled through a rear door, returned to their apartment to change clothes and gather belongings, and took a cab to Newark, New Jersey. His last known sighting was the following morning at Newark-Penn Station. Despite immediate action by local police and the FBI, he has evaded capture for ten years.

The motive for the murder remains unclear, though investigators believe it may be linked to Palak’s desire to return to India, which Bhadreshkumar opposed.

Special Agent Jonathan Shaffer of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office noted the chilling absence of remorse in Bhadreshkumar’s actions: “What was common in domestic violence cases like this--that the perpetrator oftentimes expresses remorse immediately after. And yet in this situation, Bhadreshkumar did not. He immediately formulated a plan to evade law enforcement and to flee the area.”

The surveillance footage, publicly available at fbi.gov/topten, shows Palak willingly following her husband to the back of the store, unaware of the danger.

“She obviously had no awareness that she was about to be murdered—whether it’s due to her trusting nature or the way that he snapped in the moment,” Shaffer said. “There was no struggle in the seconds just prior to her murder.”

Bhadreshkumar Chetanbhai Patel, now 35, is described as 5’9”, 165 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He may go by the name Bhadresh. Charged with murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, he is considered an international flight risk.

The public is urged to come forward with any information. Tips can be submitted to local FBI offices, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or online at tips.fbi.gov.