Funeral held for SIU student.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Funeral services for Pravin Varughese, the Southern Illinois University student who was discovered dead last week after going missing for six days, were held over the weekend as family and friends continue to mourn the tragic death of the 19 year-old sophomore.
The funeral was held in Varughese’s hometown of Morton Grove, Illinois, and was held at a local church where Varughese’s uncle is the deacon. The young man, who was pursuing a degree in criminal justice at the time of his passing, was remembered as a social, well-liked boy whose life was unfairly cut far too short under circumstances that are still being looked into by law enforcement investigators.
Carbondale, Illinois police have ruled out foul play in Varughese’s death, and the event leading up to his death are becoming just a little bit clearer. Jackson County coroner Thomas Kupferer told local news affiliate KSDK that he confirmed Varughese was not killed, and likely died of hypothermia due to being out in the cold with nothing more than jeans and a T-shirt.
Police are saying that the likely chain of events involved Varughese getting into some sort of argument with the person who picked him up and was apparently trying to take him back home, and eventually got out of the car of his own volition. He somehow ended up in the woods about three miles from where he was last seen, at a party, and succumbed to the extreme nighttime cold. Police also say that the terrain at the location where Varughese’s body was found contributed to his death.
Additionally, local affiliate WSIU reports that Illinois State Police said one of their troopers spoke to the driver of the car sometime after midnight on the night Varughese went missing. The driver apparently told police he had been in an altercation with the passenger in his car, and that the passenger (Varughese) got up and ran into the woods. The trooper who spoke with the driver did a cursory search of the area at the time, but did not find Varughese.
Blood work is still being waited on, however, which would indicate whether or not Varughese was under the influence of alcohol at the time of his passing.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com