Daughter’s theory that Dalibor Pantic was killed over cash
The daughter of missing Gippsland man Dalibor Pantic has revealed her theory that her dad was killed over a cash dispute.
Police & Courts
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Did Dalibor Pantic die for $300?
His daughter, Klara, believes that a small-money betrayal is what has left her with an agonising ordeal stretching towards five years.
Police last week revealed they were searching the Avon and Thomson rivers around Sale for any trace of Mr Pantic, who was last seen alive in 2019.
The Gippsland man’s mate, Sam Gordon Blake, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will be sentenced in March.
Ms Pantic said her father — last seen alive at Perry Bridge on April 10, 2019 — had been killed over a $300 dispute.
She said she had met Blake, a mate of her father’s who had visited the family home plenty of times.
“To me, he was really quiet,” she said.
Missing persons squad detectives last week publicly revealed child car seats and a pram from his car were dumped off a bridge on Myrtlebank Rd soon after the killing.
His 2005 silver Ford Falcon sedan has never been recovered.
Ms Pantic believes her father — also known as Dale — was disposed of in the same way as the car seats and pram.
She admits her father was something of a scallywag and involved in some low-level drug trafficking.
But, in the end, he was her dad and her grief is as real as that of any victim’s daughter.
“He would have done anything for me. He was my biggest supporter,” Ms Pantic said.
“You don’t realise the toll it takes on you.”
Insp. Dave Dunstan of the missing persons squad last week said investigators remained committed to finding Mr Pantic’s remains.
“If you do know something or might have seen or found the car seats or the pram in the river, then I urge you to come forward and hopefully we can continue to fill in all the pieces of this puzzle until we get the result and answers Dale’s family deserve,” he said.
Anyone who has seen the Ford sedan, the pram or the children’s car seats can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppers.com.au
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