Kendra Panteah, Kidnapping, New Mexico 2019

In a shocking turn of events, 37-year-old Kendra Panteah, a resident of Zuni, New Mexico, has pleaded guilty to kidnapping. The case dates back to 2019, when Panteah and her co-defendant, Gilbert John Jr., allegedly kidnapped a man, confining him in the trunk of his own vehicle.

According to court documents, Panteah and her co-defendant drove around for over a day through the Navajo Nation with the victim locked in the trunk. When the victim attempted to escape, the co-defendant repeatedly stabbed him with a machete, resulting in his death.

After the murder, Panteah and her co-defendant abandoned the vehicle at a residence, where it remained for several days. The co-defendant later towed the vehicle to a remote location, doused it with gasoline, and set it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence of the crime.

The victim’s body was only identified through hip replacement devices found in the burned vehicle. Panteah’s co-defendant, Gilbert John Jr., pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

Panteah faces between a binding range of no less than 10 years up to no more than 18 years imprisonment at sentencing. Upon her release from prison, she will be subject to up to five years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Alexander F. Flores are prosecuting the case.

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