Justice for Ilya Pakanayev

Hello,

My name is Tanisha (Tea) Pakanayeva. I write this narrative with reluctance, deep sorrow, and acceptance that this fundraiser will be another resource to aid me in the fight for justice for my late husband, ILya Pakanayev (Sunrise: 05/11/87 - Sunset: 12/24/19).

My Dearest Love ILya Pakanayev was a beloved son, father, husband, friend, and relative who left this realm far too soon. Ilya was born into a Bukharian family and relocated to the U.S. at 9-years-old for a better life. Ilya lived for many years in Rego Park with his parents as an only child. He entered my life and left it forever changed, being the friend, father to our children, and life partner that I dreamed of. Ilya encouraged me to confidently move forward with all of my hopes and dreams including higher education, entrepreneurship, and Jewish conversion which I always dreamed of. My love story with Ilya is/was storybook. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I’d be learning to navigate life without him, at 33-years-old. 

Between December 23rd, 2019, and December 24th, 2019 (never confirmed by authorities), ILya crossed over, leaving behind myself, our two children, his parents, family members, and friends. The details surrounding ILya’s death (including circumstances leading up to his body being found miles from home in Southside Jamaica Queens, New York, and post-mortem findings) have raised several red flags for everyone who has heard our story. Sadly, police authorities do not hold the same sentiments. I have dedicated the last three years attempting to navigate an investigation on ILya's behalf. I have not received any updates that allow the pieces of this puzzle to successfully be pieced together.

The problem in ILya's case is that we do not have the right answers, and the facts that we have learned are alarming. There has been little movement on the part of police authorities toward justice. The information we now know is questionable, and ILya's case screams foul play, robbery, and homicide. We question if Ilya was targeted due to race as a Jewish male in an area where he stood out. Sadly, there appears to be attempts to cover up information in ILya's case for reasons that are unknown to our family. We are certain that nothing is adding up; from where authorities located ILya; to the changed course of the investigation (accident to homicide, back to accident); to the autopsy report findings showing various physical injuries to Ilya, in comparison to the investigation conclusion; and to the decision to close ILya's case without ever notifying our family. The biggest red flag in Ilya’s case is the fact that his lifeless/unconscious body was viewed on a residential doorbell camera's footage, being carried/dragged/moved into a driveway, by two men ("known to officers"). ILya was left out in the cold without his coat, on Christmas eve, like garbage. The men responsible for abandoning him attempted to hide this act by covering Ilya with his jacket before leaving him. They were later identified and interviewed by police but were ultimately released despite their admission that they were paid to participate in such a heinous act. A "friend" came forward to police and entered an admission that he facilitated this act against ILya by summoning the two men off the street and paying them to assist him. Knowing this information, our family is angry. We feel as though NYPD officers and detectives working on ILya's case (at minimum) were careless and negligent. At maximum, these professionals have turned a blind eye to foul play and homicide. We demand justice and answers and will fight for Ilya with all that we have.

At present, I am fundraising and accepting donations to strengthen a movement launched to find answers, in this case: The #Justice4ILya Campaign. The goals of this movement aim to secure legal representation to: assist the Pakanayev family in requesting and securing transcripts from this case; review all items from the investigation and present a professional opinion; advise our family of the next steps in this case, and aid our family in the pursuit of civil and legal proceedings where possible. We are happy to share that we have moved forward to retain a private investigator. 

We demand that the justice system hold all individuals accountable who played a role in ILya's death and the harm against him. We seek to hold responsible the professionals who took an oath to serve and protect but failed ILya and our family terribly.

We ask for your support/the support of our community to bring light to this case. We need a fundraiser such as this to help our family overcome financial hurdles that have prevented us from partnering with experts in this fight for justice. We thank you in advance for your attention and support of this mission. #Justice4ILya #WhatHappenedtoILya #ThePakaFamilyandtheALLWhiteTribe 

#iLyaJusticeWarrior #ILyaJusticeWarriors