In the late afternoon of Friday, July 18, 2025, a passerby made a grim discovery on a quiet road in Robertsville, Missouri. Lying unresponsive in the driveway of a home on Finney Road was 46-year-old Jared Bodine, a White/Caucasian male. First responders were quickly on the scene and found that Bodine had been shot. He was rushed to Mercy Hospital in Washington, Missouri, but tragically succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office immediately
launched a homicide investigation into the shooting death of the Robertsville resident. As detectives began to delve into the final moments of Jared Bodine’s life, their investigation would soon stretch far beyond the borders of Missouri. Following up on tips and leads, investigators found themselves traveling to Morgan and Sedgwick counties in northeastern Colorado. The trail of evidence led them to a suspect hundreds of miles away from the scene of the crime.
The cross-state investigation culminated on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, when a Franklin County grand jury handed down an indictment. Zachary J. Pankonin, a 40-year-old resident of Julesburg, Colorado, was charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action in connection with the death of Jared Bodine. Pankonin was subsequently arrested and held on a no-bond order. Law enforcement officials in Missouri publicly acknowledged the vital assistance of their counterparts in Colorado, which proved crucial in advancing the case.
While an arrest has been made, authorities have indicated that the investigation into Jared Bodine's murder remains ongoing. Further details regarding the motive or the connection between Bodine and Pankonin have not been publicly released as the legal process moves forward.
