Ankur Patel lured his estranged wife to Chicago by claiming she could meet their five‑year‑old daughter, who had been living with Patel’s parents in India. The woman had left Patel in May, begun dating a former colleague, and relocated to Louisiana; she and her new boyfriend drove to Chicago to retrieve the child.
Pekara notes that two weeks before the murder, Patel had moved in with relatives in Chicago and sent his daughter to India, yet invited his wife to the city under false pretenses. He recorded their argument on his phone, but no physical altercation was captured before the knife was drawn.
Surveillance footage from a grocery store shows Patel purchasing a small folding knife, then brandishing it and stabbing the woman in the neck inside the apartment. An autopsy confirmed multiple defensive wounds, including a deep laceration to her left arm.
The new boyfriend called 911 after learning he had been left in a dangerous situation. Police arrived, found the body near a washing machine, and discovered Patel had already fled the scene.
Patel checked into a hotel near O’Hare, disposed of the knife, and bought new shoes and clothes at Target. On the following day, he returned to the airport and attempted to purchase a ticket to India, but DHS had been alerted and detained him.
A federal grand jury will soon charge Patel with first‑degree murder. He faces a possible life sentence, while the community watches the outcome of the prosecution.