Sachin Joseph Rayappa went missing last Wednesday.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The body of a man found in Des Moines, Iowa, has been identified as that of Sachin Joseph Rayappa.
Rayappa (24) was found dead in a tributary of the Mississippi River on Friday, in a death that local authorities have already ruled as not suspicious. The body was discovered by the Center Street dam in the early afternoon, by a passerby who alerted police about the body.
Emergency teams recovered the body, and are currently investigating the cause of death, as well as a possible motive. Rayappa had not reported to his job since the previous Tuesday, when he came to the office in the morning before leaving abruptly in the afternoon. Rayappa reportedly left his wallet, cell phone, and laptop behind.
Rayappa officially went missing on Wednesday, although his body was not found until nearly two days later. An autopsy is being planned, which police hope will identify the cause of death. As of now, the two main motives being considered are accident and suicide; given that Rayappa went missing, apparently of his own volition, just a few days before his death, the latter seems most likely.
Rayappa originally hailed from Bangalore, where his father is a businessman. He originally came to the US to work as an accountant for Ernst & Young. He immigrated to Des Moines in December, after earning his B.Com. degree from St. Joseph’s Commerce College.
There have been no public statements from Rayappa’s family yet, although police are talking to everyone that they can to help get to the bottom of this tragic, unexpected death.