I suppose he could have falsified his financial statements to qualify for the mortgage? There's so much murky in this case, because several key facts (e.g. degrees) have been mis-stated by the couple. They seem at bottom to be a "garden variety" couple with a daughter, nothing stellar, out of the ordinary, mid-range income, but they created this bizarre self-portrait. And it involved a large amount of money which they didn't have.
Middlebury's fees are something like $62k per year. That would be without sundries, books, car, tech, whatever....I sincerely doubt Arianna had financial aid. Middlebury doesn't have a lot of scholarship funding, but her family was also signaling they were wealthy and she had come from a super-wealthy school. I wonder how the college financial forms were filled out?
Also, Middlebury's bill for second semester would have been due about the time of the murder. IMO this might have been a huge factor: RK was going to fail his daughter dramatically.
I keep thinking there are more levels of malfeasance here, since I can't otherwise account for the degree to which reality is mismatched with the fantasy.
He might have had some investments (perhaps Fidelity options he couldn't cash in yet, but would be cash-able within 2 years?).
Side note: it's been a pleasure poring over these details with you,
@Charlot123
What surprises is that his wife was visibly unaware of their situation, but perhaps, we simply don't know how the agreements between the two families were arranged when Teena and Rick got married. Theirs were two large, seemingly well-off families in India, so something no doubt was in place. Perhaps Teena simply assumed that the money would be there no matter what, however, something had changed in the meantime. The business of her relatives in India could have gone downhill, for example. MOO - there may be details that we shall never be privy too. I would not be surprised if there were some funds, dowries, something they thought they could rely on, and the young Kamals, indeed, were a mere garden variety couple, living an average life in MA until things, for some reason, started going downhill.
BTW - their life started deteriorating during the time of certain stability, pre-Covid, so there might be personal issues that no one can ever factor in. (I am thinking of regular factors. What common medicinal pathway aging men choose, for example? It might have been also a "garden-variety" decision, but certain people respond differently to medications that are safe for most. Another example, for an anxious introvert, mild antidepressants might be lifesavers. Ocxasionally, they might cause expansive mood and irrational decisions and none the wiser because it is not a one-day thing).
I personally believe that if there were circumstances that can explain a lot and be the learning factor for all of us, and instead of flaunting the cost of their unaffordable house, we all should be explained more about them. We humans tend to follow examples of our peers, but maybe we should be more aware of "all in moderation" rule. (Example: HRT that all my peers used, would have undoubtedly killed me were it not for my excellent, very reasonable PCP who talked me out of it, weighing in all pros and cons. I am using it as an example of what i am considering. It might have been something different.)
So, I would not be surprised if something started for the family a very innocuous way and ended up in a tragedy. We have such horrible numbers of suicides that everything has to be taken into account, but first of all, explained.
I feel horribly sorry for the Kamals, and for the Bedi family, and very much, for Arianna's friends and her boyfriend, one more victim of the situation. It must have involved and touched a lot of people. (I also noticed that articles from India are more rational and moderate.) I know that the families feel grief, and guilt, and maybe shame, but I hope that one day, they will be able to tell us what really happened to Rick and what we, some of us being the parents of younger adults, some, immigrants, some, simply in the same boat, unknowingly, should pay attention to when thinking of our lives/families/plans. I hope the families will have the kindness, and the courage, and the strength to teach us something. My hope lies in them, because newspapers are useless in this situation.
In conclusion,
@RickshawFan, it was exceptionally pleasant to discuss the case with you, and I hope you, your beloved ones and your friends in MA have a great year!
