Three people arrested.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC : A Nepali American senior at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, colloquially known as Virginia Tech, was found murdered this past weekend, leaving three people in police custody and an entire university reeling in the wake of yet another unspeakable tragedy.
Samanata Shrestha, 21, was a biology major, with minors in psychology and “medicine in society” and aspiring physician. Her parents, Dr. Manik Lal Shrestha and Rajshree Shrestha, spoke to her last on Friday evening, then were unable to get hold of her the following day. On Sunday, police officially launched an investigation into her disappearance, ultimately finding her dead in her black 2004 Mercedes-Benz sedan.
Shortly thereafter, three young people were arrested in connection with the tragic slaying: 22 year-old Jessica Michelle Ewing, and 23 year-olds Keifer Kyle Brown and Michael Christian Heller. Ewing, who was Shrestha’s roommate, is charged with one count of second-degree murder, while Keifer and Heller – the former is a recent graduate in interdisciplinary studies and the latter is a resident of Blacksburg, Virginia – are charged with being accessories after the fact, helping to transport and hide Shretha’s body.
A motive for the killing has not been determined yet, and an early report saying that Shrestha’s body had evidence of strangulation is not being confirmed by local authorities. Shrestha’s sorority, Episilon Sigma Alpha, will be holding a vigil service this week, while Virginia Tech has counseling available for students having difficulty coping with the loss of their classmate. Shrestha’s death is made all the more tragic for her parents since their first daughter, Manisha, was killing a motorcycle accident in Nepal in 2008. She was 22 years old at that time.
University President Charles Steger, in a statement released by Virginia Tech, said “Those who knew Samanata Shrestha [can] confirm her zest for school and love of Virginia Tech. One teacher described her as a ‘faculty member’s dream’ because of her exceptional scholarship, love of learning, and ‘she always had a smile,’ adding that “That an inspiring young woman would lose her life to violent crime hurts beyond belief.”
Shrestha was originally from Vienna, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC known for its high immigrant and south Asian population.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com