In accordance with 9News, 7News and the Australian Broadcasting Company, the coroner’s workplace has dominated Jovanovic’s dying an “accident,” figuring out there’s not sufficient proof to cost him with manslaughter.

On September 8, 2019, Jovanovic was shot contained in the Gold Coast dwelling of her ex, Christos Panagakos, as the 2 and a number of other pals have been on the brink of exit for dinner.

When police arrived, each Panagakos and the gun have been gone. He later advised investigators he fled the scene as a result of he “didn’t need to be blamed for the capturing,” per the shops. The firearm used within the capturing has by no means been recovered.

It was Panagakos’ mom, Michelle, who known as the police. In accordance with reviews, she initially advised officers she heard two loud bangs and located Jovanovic mendacity within the kitchen on the high of a staircase.

Michelle claimed her son had been strolling up the steps on the time and {that a} “cowboy-like” gun was at Jovanovic’s toes, implying the influencer could have introduced the weapon herself. However Coroner Donald MacKenzie had questions, calling her account “risible” when delivering his findings, Thursday, in keeping with the ABC.

“Ms. Ivona Jovanovic was killed by Mr. Christos Panagakos when a handgun discharged from inside a bag he was carrying when he tripped on a staircase going through her,” MacKenzie mentioned in an announcement.

Panagakos was initially charged with manslaughter again in 2021 however the prices have been later dropped. Earlier than that, he advised a courtroom he had little reminiscence of the evening Jovanovic died, admitting he had taken methamphetamines that night, per ABC. Regardless of this, he insisted he didn’t have a gun in his possession.

MacKenzie mentioned the “most dependable” proof got here from Daine Walker, a good friend who was current that evening.

“Christos was standing on the high of the steps; I keep in mind him saying ‘I tripped’ and ‘it simply went off’,” Walker wrote in an announcement. “I noticed a gun on the ground on the high of the steps.”

Nonetheless, Walker later claimed he could not keep in mind writing the assertion, and revealed he too used medication that evening. In accordance with 9News, MacKenzie accused him of dodging authorized legal responsibility, stating, “Clearly, he had been given sound authorized recommendation on easy methods to keep away from his assertion from being admissible towards Mr. Panagakos in a felony trial.”

Regardless of concluding that Panagakos was chargeable for Jovanovic’s dying, MacKenzie in the end dominated it was “primarily an accident.”

“When it comes to the Prison Code, his felony negligence couldn’t be established to warrant a prosecution for involuntary manslaughter,” he mentioned, in keeping with the regulation in Australia. “Contemplating the proof… I can not make any significant suggestions.”

MacKenzie did go away the door open for future motion, nevertheless, noting that an inquest into the matter could possibly be re-opened if new proof have been to emerge.

He additionally took a second to acknowledge the emotional toll the long-unsolved case has taken on Jovanovic’s family members, including, “The dearth of readability about how she died can solely have aggravated that grief.”