In the summer of 1995, two sisters, Dzaneta Pasanbegovic, 22, and her younger sister Amela, 20, were just beginning to build a new life for themselves in Hanover Park, Illinois. Having arrived in the United States only six months earlier, they were refugees who had fled the devastating war in their native Bosnia. Like many who sought sanctuary in America, they were hopeful for a future free from conflict. They initially lived with an uncle before finding their own apartment and securing jobs at a local factory in Streamwood. However, their journey was not without its struggles. The sisters were laid off from their factory positions, a setback that left them in a vulnerable financial situation but did not diminish their determination. It was during this period of uncertainty that they encountered a man who offered them a job cleaning his house, an offer that would tragically lead to their disappearance.
On July 11, 1995, Dzaneta and Amela were seen for the last time. After this day, all communication from the sisters ceased, and they were never heard from again. Their sudden silence was alarming, and they were officially reported missing on July 24, 1995. The investigation into their disappearance would stretch on for years, leaving their family to grapple with the pain of not knowing what had happened to them. The case remained cold until a break came in 2001 with the confession of Paul Frederick Runge, a man with a history of violent crimes. Runge, who was being investigated for a series of other brutal crimes, admitted to the murders of both Dzaneta and Amela.
Runge's confession was chillingly detailed. He recounted how he had lured the sisters to his home with the promise of work. He described attacking them, stating that when Dzaneta attempted to flee, he slammed her head into concrete before drowning her in a bathtub. He then assaulted and strangled Amela. Following the murders, Runge admitted to dismembering their bodies and disposing of their remains in garbage bins along North Avenue. Despite his confession, the remains of Dzaneta and Amela have never been recovered. Runge was convicted for other murders and sentenced to death, but this was later commuted to life in prison when Illinois abolished the death penalty. Consequently, prosecutors decided to drop the charges against him for the murders of the Pasanbegovic sisters, reasoning that he was already facing the maximum possible sentence and a further trial would be a misuse of resources. Based on the strength of the confession, a judge issued death certificates for the sisters, providing a small measure of legal closure for their family, though their bodies were never found. The case of Dzaneta and Amela Pasanbegovic is a heartbreaking story of two young women who, after escaping the horrors of war, met a cruel fate at the hands of a serial killer while striving for a better life.
Last Seen: Jul 11, 1995
