Palm Coast man who allegedly killed Ky. woman had PTSD, was off his meds, said he was God
A Palm Coast man who shot an employee at a Kentucky hotel last week where he was a guest was on his way to see his cousin in Illinois whom he had threatened to kill the night before the shooting, Flagler County sheriff's investigators said.
The cousin said Robert Pannell, 55, was off his medication, and a neighbor told Flagler County deputies that Pannell suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was known to easily lose his temper, according to a Flagler County sheriff's report obtained on Tuesday by the News-Journal.
Robert Pannell was arrested on Feb. 11 in Paducah, Ky., after he fatally shot a woman who worked at a Best Western hotel at 9:48 a.m., authorities said.
More:Police seek motive for why Palm Coast man fatally shot woman in Kentucky
Sheriff Ryan Norman said Tuesday that investigators in McCracken County still have not determined why Pannell shot the hotel employee. Pannell was being held in the McCracken County Jail on Tuesday on $2.25 million bail, Norman said.
Pannell was charged in Kentucky with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, two counts of fourth-degree assault, four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree assault, second-degree menacing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Norman said his investigators believed Pannell was on his way to see family in Illinois, and was passing through Paducah.
Robert Pannell threatened to kill Illinois cousin
In the report released to the News-Journal on Tuesday, Flagler County sheriff's deputies shed more light on the alleged killer's state of mind.
On the morning of Feb. 11, the cousin in Illinois woke up to an overnight voicemail from an upset Pannell, who claimed his cousin was using his name in vain and that Pannell was going to kill him, the report detailed.
Pannell's cousin called Flagler County deputies and asked that a well-being check be done.
The cousin reported to Flagler County deputies that a few days before Feb. 11, he and Pannell had argued after Pannell lied to him that he was in Illinois while he was in Florida, Flagler County deputies said.
Off his meds, suffered from PTSD
The cousin informed deputies that Pannell was off his medication and made several comments that he was God, deputies noted in the document.
Flagler County deputies went to Pannell's Palm Coast home at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 11 but discovered that he was not home.
Deputies then learned from a neighbor that Pannell had asked that his home be taken care of and that his cat be fed.
The neighbor told Flagler deputies that Pannell had left for Illinois to see family on Friday, Feb. 10, at 5 a.m., according to the report.
The neighbor also told deputies that Pannell was ex-military and that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was known to lose his temper easily, the report said.
When Flagler County deputies learned that Pannell was headed to Illinois, they called his cousin to make him aware and advised him to call police where he lived, the report documents.
Robert Pannell shoots Best Western employee
Then at 2:10 p.m., a detective with the McCracken County Sheriff's Office contacted Flagler County deputies to let them know that Pannell had been arrested for assaulting an elderly couple outside the hotel and for shooting a Best Western employee in Paducah, the report noted.
Pannell also shot at various hotel guests the morning of Feb. 11, authorities said.
The McCracken County sheriff's detective said multiple firearms and ammunition were recovered from Pannel's hotel room, who checked in on Friday night at the hotel in Paducah, the report shows.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Palm Coast man who shot Kentucky woman had threatened cousin in Illinois
