Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘The Missing Mother’ of Oxygen’s ‘Killer Relationship with Faith Jenkins’ delves deep into the disappearance and murder case of Manjit Panghali, who was pregnant at the time. When she went missing after her yoga class in 2006, an extensive search was launched by the authorities. But when her remains surfaced after a few days, the police suspected Mukhtiar of being involved in the foul play but lacked evidence at first.
Mukhtiar Panghali Seemed Like a Model Husband and Father
Mukhtiar Singh Panghali, who was nicknamed MP, was a student at the prestigious University of British Columbia when he first locked eyes with his free-spirited junior, Manjit, in 1994. As chemistry brewed up between the two, they began dating. By the summer of 1997, they had made their relationship official by getting married in a traditional Indian ceremony, surrounded by their loved ones. After marriage, both shared the financial load of running their family. While Manjit bagged her dream job of being a teacher at North Ridge Elementary School, Mukhtiar taught high school physics.
The couple expanded their family upon the birth of their daughter, Maya, in 2003. Manjit had a passion for children since her early days, and by entering motherhood, she could finally shower her love onto her adorable child. Surprisingly, even Mukhtiar embraced his new role and turned out to be a hands-on father. Unfortunately, there was trouble in paradise by 2005. It got worse when his brother, Sukhwinder Panghali, moved in with the couple, doubling the household chores Manjit had to do daily. After Sukhwinder exited their house, the husband and wife sought professional help and went to couples therapy.
Mukhtiar Pretended to be Clueless About His Wife’s Disappearance and Murder
Mukhtiar and Manjit seemingly grew closer to one another again, and in the summer of 2006, the latter announced that she was pregnant with another child. Several months into her pregnancy, she began going to yoga classes. However, on October 18, 2006, as per Mukhtiar’s claims, his wife left for her yoga class but did not make it back. After waiting for her to return for about 26 hours, he finally reported her missing. When the police interviewed him, he pointed them in the direction of Manjit’s high school friend, Tony Phunal,’ with whom she appeared to have an affair, according to Mukhtiar. Five days after she was last seen, on October 23, 2006, the burned body of the four-month-pregnant woman was discovered on a beach near Roberts Bank in Delta, British Columbia.
The autopsy results showed that the killer strangled Manjit to death, before burning her body, seemingly to eliminate evidence from her body. As for her missing vehicle, it was found about 10 km away from the Panghali residence. Finding Mukhtiar suspicious, the police decided to dive deep into his whereabouts on the fateful night. As the investigators combed through the surveillance footage of all the nearby businesses, they found a groundbreaking piece of evidence against him. According to the footage of a Chevron gas station, he entered the store in the middle of the night and purchased a newspaper and a lighter. With enough incriminating evidence against him, the authorities obtained an arrest warrant, and on March 12, 2007, they charged him with the murder of his wife.
Mukhtiar Panghali Has Been Out on Full Parole Since Late 2023
More than three years after his arrest, the trial of Mukhtiar Panghali commenced on November 15, 2010. After hearing both sides of the story, the jury convicted the defendant of second-degree murder on February 4, 2011. About a month later, on March 17, 2011, Mukhtiar was sentenced to life in prison, but with the possibility of parole. In the following year, the killer appealed his conviction but was denied by the court. Eventually, in 2021, he was granted day parole, which allowed him unescorted temporary release from prison to spend time with his family and slowly reintegrate into society.
A couple of years later, in October 2023, he was granted full release after serving 16 years behind bars. A statement addressing Mukhtiar read: “Since your release on day parole, you have not posed any significant management concern and appear to be reintegrating appropriately. You have several positive supports, and now, you have the support of the (Correctional Services of Canada) for full parole.” However, his full parole was not devoid of numerous conditions. For instance, he must avoid the consumption of alcohol and report any relationship with women, sexual or non-sexual, to his parole officer.
The parole board reminded him that being in an intimate relationship with a woman would be considered a “high-risk situation” for him, so he must avoid initiating a relationship unless authorized by the officer. Furthermore, the former convict was ordered not to contact any biological family member of his late wife, Manjit, including their daughter, Maya. As of now, Mukhtiar Panghali appears to be leading a private life, mindful of not breaking any of the conditions set by the parole board.
