Six years after Australian influencer Ivona Jovanovic was fatally shot in her ex-boyfriend’s home, a coroner has finally shared the ruling on her death.
And the verdict is… an accident.
The Tragic Incident
On September 8, 2019, Ivona Jovanovic was shot inside the Gold Coast home of her ex, Christos Panagakos, as the two and several friends were getting ready to go out for dinner.
When police arrived, both Panagakos and the gun were gone. He later told investigators he fled the scene because he “did not want to be blamed for the shooting.”
The firearm used in the shooting has never been recovered.
But according to a friend who was present that night, Daine Walker, Panagakos was standing at the top of the stairs when the gun went off.
A Witness Comes Forward
Walker wrote in a statement: “Christos was standing at the top of the stairs; I remember him saying ‘I tripped’ and ‘it just went off’…
I saw a gun on the floor at the top of the stairs.” However, Walker later claimed he couldn’t remember writing the statement, and revealed he too used drugs that night.
The Coroner’s Findings
Coroner Donald MacKenzie said the “most reliable” evidence came from Walker’s statement.
MacKenzie concluded that Panagakos was responsible for Jovanovic’s death, but ultimately ruled it was “essentially an accident.”
“In terms of the Criminal Code, his criminal negligence could not be established to warrant a prosecution for involuntary manslaughter,” MacKenzie said.
He did leave the door open for future action, however, noting that an inquest into the matter could be re-opened if new evidence were to emerge.
A Long-Unsolved Case Finally Closes
MacKenzie acknowledged the emotional toll the long-unsolved case has taken on Jovanovic’s loved ones, adding, “The lack of clarity about how she died can only have aggravated that grief.”