CONVICTION OVERTURNED IL - Pravin Varughese, 19, Siu Student, Carbondale, 12 Feb 2014

[Dixie811]

Froze to death? I wonder how intoxicated he was when he left this party...?

I am not denying that someone could freeze to death in cold temps without a coat, but where was his cell phone?

IDK, I'd like to know more...

 

[Tssiemer]

Maybe he was drunk and disoriented.

 

[Mouse]

Maybe he was drunk and disoriented.

I think this is what probably happened. I understand why his family doesn't think that running into the woods is something he'd do...but this board is full of cases where someone does something that their family and friends swear they'd never do. And people do all kinds of out-of-character things when they've been drinking. (Which...I don't think any of the articles have specified if he was reportedly drinking or not, but...college guy, at a college party...chances are good that he was.)

The article neverletgo linked above says that "he could not tell the person where he lived" and then left the person's car. When I was college-aged, I had the experience of offering a drunk guy a ride home because I was trying to be nice and responsible...and then wasting an entire tank of gas driving around and around, and getting increasingly irritated in the process, because he was too drunk to know where he lived or how to get there, and much bitter arguing ensued. So I can see this happening in this case.

And when I was college-aged, there were also a couple of times that I hopped out of a car at a red light and then walked home because my date was getting handsy or otherwise pissing me off. In fact, once I went out on a first date double-date, and the guy upset me by sitting in the back of the car with his buddy while the other girl and I sat up front (she was driving). I was getting really miffed about being ignored, so I turned around to tell him off--and saw that he and his buddy were sorting through bags of coke in the backseat. So I thought "yeah...hell with this," noticed that we were coming up to the highway exit to a town where a friend of mine lived and figured it would be my last chance to get myself out of the situation, so I asked the driver to slow down by the exit, jumped out and made my way to a gas station pay phone (this was back in the day before cell phones), and called my friend's dad to come pick me up. And then wondered, in that oblivious teen-age way, why the dad was so panicked and screaming, "Are you OK? Did he hurt you? Do I need to get the police?" when he pulled up at the gas station. Looking back now, as a middle-aged adult, I completely understand how calling someone out of the blue to say, "Hi, Mr. Jones, it's Patty's friend Mouse. Ummm...my date turned out to be a drug dealer, so I jumped out of his car and now I'm stranded at this gas station right next to a biker bar. Do you think you could come get me?" would absolutely freak out poor Mr. Jones...but at the time, I was just thinking, "Well, that was a crappy date." My point (and I do have one in here somewhere) is that young people do a lot of things without maybe thinking through all the possible consequences, and it's just sheer luck that most of us don't end up getting ourselves into worse trouble. I never stormed out of someone's car in the dead of winter...but you know, I would have if I was drunk and/or upset. And I wouldn't have been wearing a proper winter coat and hat, because it would have ruined my cute date outfit and given me hat hair. (And my family and friends would have sworn up-and-down that I would never do something so foolish, because I was a good student and a nice, responsible Catholic girl.) I'm lucky that I never got lost and froze to death, or slipped and fell into a river while walking home in a snit. But I can completely see how those situations can happen when you mix (possibly) alcohol and the bravado and inexperience of youth (especially with a male, since they don't have *BEWARE!* drilled into their heads the way girls do).



*I found out later that Mr. Bags o' Cocaine didn't even notice I was gone until they got to their destination about an hour later. Hmmph.

 

[hockeymom4]

I think this is what probably happened. I understand why his family doesn't think that running into the woods is something he'd do...but this board is full of cases where someone does something that their family and friends swear they'd never do. And people do all kinds of out-of-character things when they've been drinking. (Which...I don't think any of the articles have specified if he was reportedly drinking or not, but...college guy, at a college party...chances are good that he was.)

The article neverletgo linked above says that "he could not tell the person where he lived" and then left the person's car. When I was college-aged, I had the experience of offering a drunk guy a ride home because I was trying to be nice and responsible...and then wasting an entire tank of gas driving around and around, and getting increasingly irritated in the process, because he was too drunk to know where he lived or how to get there, and much bitter arguing ensued. So I can see this happening in this case.

And when I was college-aged, there were also a couple of times that I hopped out of a car at a red light and then walked home because my date was getting handsy or otherwise pissing me off. In fact, once I went out on a first date double-date, and the guy upset me by sitting in the back of the car with his buddy while the other girl and I sat up front (she was driving). I was getting really miffed about being ignored, so I turned around to tell him off--and saw that he and his buddy were sorting through bags of coke in the backseat. So I thought "yeah...hell with this," noticed that we were coming up to the highway exit to a town where a friend of mine lived and figured it would be my last chance to get myself out of the situation, so I asked the driver to slow down by the exit, jumped out and made my way to a gas station pay phone (this was back in the day before cell phones), and called my friend's dad to come pick me up. And then wondered, in that oblivious teen-age way, why the dad was so panicked and screaming, "Are you OK? Did he hurt you? Do I need to get the police?" when he pulled up at the gas station. Looking back now, as a middle-aged adult, I completely understand how calling someone out of the blue to say, "Hi, Mr. Jones, it's Patty's friend Mouse. Ummm...my date turned out to be a drug dealer, so I jumped out of his car and now I'm stranded at this gas station right next to a biker bar. Do you think you could come get me?" would absolutely freak out poor Mr. Jones...but at the time, I was just thinking, "Well, that was a crappy date." My point (and I do have one in here somewhere) is that young people do a lot of things without maybe thinking through all the possible consequences, and it's just sheer luck that most of us don't end up getting ourselves into worse trouble. I never stormed out of someone's car in the dead of winter...but you know, I would have if I was drunk and/or upset. And I wouldn't have been wearing a proper winter coat and hat, because it would have ruined my cute date outfit and given me hat hair. (And my family and friends would have sworn up-and-down that I would never do something so foolish, because I was a good student and a nice, responsible Catholic girl.) I'm lucky that I never got lost and froze to death, or slipped and fell into a river while walking home in a snit. But I can completely see how those situations can happen when you mix (possibly) alcohol and the bravado and inexperience of youth (especially with a male, since they don't have *BEWARE!* drilled into their heads the way girls do).



*I found out later that Mr. Bags o' Cocaine didn't even notice I was gone until they got to their destination about an hour later. Hmmph.

But he had his phone and at 12:30 called a friend and sounded out of breath and sounded like he was arguing and running from someone. So, why not call someone? He was right near BWW. I don't blame this person, but leaving someone in the cold, with no jacket, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night and not reporting it until Mon would cause me question.

 

[Kensie]

Another tragic end to a missing person. RIP young fellow.

 

[Maroon10]

The area he was found would have been known well too students at the school. It is right next to the mall, grocery store, and walmart that all the students frequent. I don't think he would have gotten lost if he was in the right mind.

My guess is that he was very intoxicated, accepted the ride, then when he was disorientated and after a heated argument where he probably could not articulate where he lived or how to get there and got out of the car, maybe they left him and he walked off and they didn't want to be blamed for leaving him, hence the late tip. Maybe he tried to take a "short cut" that he may have thought he knew or knew of and just was in the wrong place and passed out.

I remember when I was at the parties I would get drunk and a few times run off away from the party if I got upset and once even threw my phone just caught up in a drunken mess.

Sad, I will keep his family in my prayers

 

[Analyze That]

Not saying there can't be more to the story. But, I remember being young, and even not young, and getting so drunk that the drama of leaving a warm car for the street could happen. And, after trying to figure out what to do next could have just confused the hell out of me. At some point, one might just think that if I lie down for a few minutes, the world will stop spinning & I can think. Hours later the wake up comes. Well, if you're out in the freezing cold during the pass-out period, then maybe that's it? My neighbor's son is a student at SIU. They visited their son this past weekend & ate at BWW. We talked about this case yesterday. Her comment was that she needs to go to colleges & lecture these kids on the whole party scene & how to survive it. So sad, but perhaps this case isn't a foul play case.

 

[Nugget]

Not saying there can't be more to the story. But, I remember being young, and even not young, and getting so drunk that the drama of leaving a warm car for the street could happen. And, after trying to figure out what to do next could have just confused the hell out of me. At some point, one might just think that if I lie down for a few minutes, the world will stop spinning & I can think. Hours later the wake up comes. Well, if you're out in the freezing cold during the pass-out period, then maybe that's it? My neighbor's son is a student at SIU. They visited their son this past weekend & ate at BWW. We talked about this case yesterday. Her comment was that she needs to go to colleges & lecture these kids on the whole party scene & how to survive it. So sad, but perhaps this case isn't a foul play case.

This is how I picture it too. Also I have been black out drunk where I keep going but don't remember or understand what I'm doing. Who knows his tolerance and how much he drank. I have done some dumb stuff I am lucky and blessed to have lived through during my college years.

 

[kenmore]

The Jackson County Coroner has released the cause of death: hypotherimia.

http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/news/local/Missing-SIU-student-found-in-wooded-area-246031721.html

I think this tragedy has been summed up: a very drunken night for a 19-year-old that end not with a hangover, but an early death. It's horrible, and very easy for anyone who had fun in college to relate to.

Everyone talks about the "bloody knuckles" tweet, but no one has mentioned a tweet from an hour or so earlier, in which Pravin references "Admiral Gold."

https://twitter.com/TheOnlyPravin/status/433808744606990336

I think Pravin was referring to Admiral Nelson Gold rum, a cheap version of Captain Morgan that I occasionally imbibed as a poor college student at where else, Southern Illinois University.

This case has touched me for a number of reasons, not least of which include the fact he attended my alma mater and went missing from the exact address I not only lived for a year but spent some of my haziest moments as a college partier. As the previous poster said, a lot of us drank to a level in our college days that could very well have left us dead. I can recall one specific instance where I woke up on a bench outside an apartment building on that same College St., without a clue as to what happened in the hours before I passed out in that unusual spot. Fortunately, it was not 15 degrees outside when this happened.

The police chief's statement that Pravin was "unable" to tell his driver where he lived, coupled with the above evidence, closes the book on this one for me. This kid was heavily intoxicated, and probably didn't know where he was when he ran from the car. He had a moment of clarity that allowed him to call a friend, but the toxins of the alcohol clouded his brain again shortly after and he probably just dropped and went to sleep. The elements took over from there. It's a terrible, senseless way to end a life, but one that could have happened to me or any of my friends from college.

I suppose the remaining question is why did his driver leave him without a coat in the cold, and why did he wait days to come forward to police? The first part of the question can be reasonably answered: he barely knew the guy, and he was probably behaving towards him in a violent manner. To say he should have known Pravin was going to fall asleep in the woods is relying a bit heavily on hindsight, and it's possible he feared for his safety as opposed to running after him. Again, he barely knew him. For the second part, he might have been racked with guilt and afraid he could be charged in the young man's death. It seems the need to bring closure to Pravin's friends and family won out in the end, and for their sake I am grateful for that, even if it took a couple days longer than it should have.

RIP Pravin.

 

[kenmore]

A heart-breaking remembrance written by Pravin's sister for the independent campus newspaper.

http://www.dailyegyptian.com/sister-speaks-i-love-you-vava/

It seems the family still has questions, though I'm sure this was written before the autopsy came back. I hope the police continue to investigate the driver so there is full closure.

 

[pianogirl]

There were no drugs or alcohol in his system.

http://www.wsiltv.com/news/video/Un...eath-253672591.html?m=y&smobile=y&clmob=y&c=n

 

[Tssiemer]

There were no drugs or alcohol in his system.

http://www.wsiltv.com/news/video/Un...eath-253672591.html?m=y&smobile=y&clmob=y&c=n

Really? That's just great. Now what? Foul play? All evidence will be gone by now.


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[OkieGranny]

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/05/31/morton-grove-family-disputes-siu-students-cause-of-death/

A Morton Grove mother says her son was murdered despite the coroner’s report.

19-year-old Pravin Varughese vanished last February from Carbondale. The sophomore at SIU was later found in a field several days after he went missing and his death was ruled hypothermia.

On Saturday, his mother told CBS 2 the funeral director tipped her off that her son may have died from something else. A second autopsy backs up the funeral director’s claim.

 

[Jessica2012]

http://www.wsiltv.com/news/local/Fa...-of-Hypothermia--261337831.html?m=y&smobile=y

 

[Tssiemer]

Fabulous. Just great. Is it just me or are investigators so quick to close the book and the easiest outcome they can?


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[margarita25]

http://www.wsiltv.com/news/local/Fa...-of-Hypothermia--261337831.html?m=y&smobile=y

From the above link:

"The family of Pravin Varughese says he was beaten up before he died. That finding comes from the independent autopsy the Varughese family had conducted. They hired a Chicago pathologist who determined the underlying cause of death was blunt force trauma.

Relatives say there was no sign of frostbite on Pravin's body, but there were multiple injuries."

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.punemirror.in/news/world/Autopsy-casts-doubts-over-Indian-teens-death-in-US/articleshow/35909807.cms

Margolis, founder of Autopsy Center of Chicago, said the autopsy he performed found "significant injuries" to Varughese's face.

The sophomore criminal justice major suffered four different blows to the face and head, all of which could not have been caused by a single impact, such as falling on a rock or hitting atree.

Varughese's body also showed an injury to his forearm and his left thigh, Margolis said, as well as bruises below his knees and scratch marks that could have been caused by the difficult terrain.

Margolis, however, stopped short of issuing a determination of how Varughese sustained the head injuries, saying he still needed to see initial police and coroner records. "The cause of death is blunt force injury, but the cause of those injuries is pending further investigation," he said.

 

[Tssiemer]

Could he have been hit by a car?


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[OkieGranny]

http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/06/30/young-man-beat-pravin-varughese-night-went-missing/

A southern Illinois woman, who has known some of the people involved with the Pravin Varughese case for several years, came forward over the weekend to tell her own story regarding the boy’s tragic death back in February.

The woman – who requested that The American Bazaar not release her name, but for the sake of this story, will be called T – was on a local radio show to speak about what she knows about the Pravin Varughese case. In a nutshell, she alleges that her son’s friends may know a young man who beat up Pravin on the night he went missing, and that this man could have, intentionally or otherwise, caused Pravin’s death...

But the information she had happened upon weighed on her conscience, and within a few days, she called the Carbondale Police to inform them that she may have information about Pravin Varughese. Keep in mind that although T was able to put together that “that boy” who was beat up was Pravin, this is still before she or anyone else knew that he was dead.

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

WOW. I hope this family gets the justice they want and deserve. Can't even imagine...