Jeffrey Robert Patneau (September 9, 1982 – October 4, 2008) was an American intelligence officer for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He died from injuries sustained in a car accident while working for the CIA in Yemen.[1]
Early life
Patneau was born on September 9, 1982, in Hennepin County, Minnesota, to parents Robert Austin Patneau and Dawn Marie Hackenberg Patneau. He had a sister and a brother, who was a Second Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. The family resided in Lexington, North Carolina. Patneau graduated from Augustana College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business.[2][3][4]
Career and death
Patneau served as a CIA officer, publicly posing as an employee of the U.S. State Department. On September 29, 2008, Patneau was involved in a car accident in Yemen, sustaining severe injuries. He was transferred to The London Clinic in England, where he died on October 4, 2008. U.S. officials denied al-Qaida claims linking his death to an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa earlier that month.[5] Patneau's association with the CIA was publicly revealed in 2012, when he was honored as the 103rd entry in the CIA's Book of Honor. A star was added to the CIA Memorial Wall at the agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia, during the annual memorial ceremony on May 22, 2012. Then-CIA Director David Petraeus praised his service.[6][7][8] His family received financial support from the CIA after his death.[9]
References
- ^ L (2020-09-09). "The CIA Book of Honor — Star 103 : Jeffrey R. Patneau [Yemen — September 29 2008]". Intel Today. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ "Jeffrey Robert Patneau Obituary October 4, 2008". Davidson Funeral Home. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ "Endowed Scholarships | Augustana College". www.augustana.edu. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ "CIA: Augustana grad worked for agency at time of his 2008 death". Dispatch Argus. 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ Ken, Dilanian (2012-05-23). "CIA discloses names of 15 killed in line of duty". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ "PRESS RELEASE: CIA HOLDS ANNUAL MEMORIAL CEREMONY TO HONOR FALLEN COLLEAGUES". CIA.gov.
- ^ "CIA openly honors agents killed on duty - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ Allen, Ian. "Jeffrey R. Patneau". intelNews.org. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
- ^ Powell, Stewart. "Compensation for families of slain CIA personnel under review". Chron.com.
