IN - Varun Manish Chheda, 20, murdered at Purdue University. **arrest**, 10/5/22

[savagewoman]

A student was killed in a Purdue University residence hall. His roommate is in custody.

Purdue University student will be charged with murder after he allegedly killed his roommate in a residence hall on the Indiana campus, according to the school's police chief.

"Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha, a junior cybersecurity major and international student from Korea, called 911 around 12:45 a.m. to alert police about the death, Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete said during a news conference Wednesday morning."

"Chheda died of "multiple sharp force traumatic injuries" and the manner of death was a homicide, according to preliminary autopsy results."

 

[savagewoman]

A student was killed in a Purdue University residence hall. His roommate is in custody.

Purdue University student will be charged with murder after he allegedly killed his roommate in a residence hall on the Indiana campus, according to the school's police chief.

"Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha, a junior cybersecurity major and international student from Korea, called 911 around 12:45 a.m. to alert police about the death, Purdue University Police Chief Lesley Wiete said during a news conference Wednesday morning."

"Chheda died of "multiple sharp force traumatic injuries" and the manner of death was a homicide, according to preliminary autopsy results."

They have updated the article....
"Chheda had been gaming and talking with friends online through Discord on Tuesday night when they suddenly heard screaming on the call."

IMO so his gaming buddies didn't call 911 but the suspect did and then was arrested right away. It was also strange that most people in the dorm were not even notified that this happened and police were in the scene.
So tragic. Maybe the roomie wanted to study or sleep and the gaming bothered him.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

IMO the victim was having fun and enjoying talking to friends, and the suspect suddenly took out his internal stress/loneliness/anger on an innocent happy person.

It doesn't sound like the victim's friends heard a verbal conflict; it sounds like they heard a sudden unprovoked attack.

 

[savagewoman]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/10/06/purdue-student-murder/
"Purdue University Chief of Police Lesley Weite said police arrested Chheda’s roommate, 22-year-old Ji Min “Jimmy” Sha, on preliminary murder charges after Sha called 911 on himself around 12:45 a.m.

“[We] believe it was unprovoked,” Weite told reporters Wednesday, and called the fatal attack “senseless.” "
BBM
I agree

“[We] believe it was unprovoked,” Weite told reporters Wednesday, and called the fatal attack “senseless.”
Story continues below advertisement

“...She (Weite) said officials believe Chheda was not asleep before the attack, and referenced several “possible witnesses” who were not in the room; reports from NBC News and other outlets said Chheda was gaming online and talking to friends on the social platform Discord when his friends suddenly heard screaming from his end of the call."

IMO
Having kids this age and one that games like this, I hope he calls LE if he hears screams while gaming.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

“I was blackmailed,” Sha said.

Sha did not elaborate further...

“I’m sorry,” Sha said.

He has not been formally charged and is being held without bond on a 72-hour hold.

Suspect in Purdue dorm slaying claims he was 'blackmailed'

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — The man accused of killing his […]

www.wishtv.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Friend of Purdue University student killed in residence hall speaks out: Varun was a 'really good' person

A close friend remembers Varun Manish Chheda as a "really good person." Chheda was killed Wednesday at his Purdue University residence hall in Indiana.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Sundog]

So JS is saying the motive for the killing was blackmail.

I was wondering if there was mental illness, psychosis, still could be. I guess time will tell.

I wonder if any problems were reported to Residence Hall staff by either VC or JS since their room assignment and living together since moving into their room in the residence hall in August for the new academic year.

I also wonder if they were both freshmen.


ETA I see from the article at the link below that VC was a senior. Doesn't mention JS's class status.

Students at Purdue University residence hall say they were left in the dark about killing for hours

“I had to Google it to find out what happened and was shocked that it was in our building," one student said.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Sundog]

Purdue murder suspect says 'I'm very sorry,' claims he was blackmailed before court appearance

When asked if he has a message for the victim's family, Ji Min Sha said "I'm very sorry."

abc7chicago.com

So the victim, VC, was a senior and the student who killed him was a junior. That means they both have likely had other roommates if they were living in residence halls on campus, unless they have been roommates during their earlier years, or year. LE will no doubt be interviewing other roommates if they have lived on or off-campus with other students during their studies at Purdue to get information on their relationship, if any before this year, behaviors, etc.

 

[savagewoman]

No bond for student accused of killing roommate in Purdue University dorm

old article but an update...

The man accused of fatally stabbing his roommate earlier this month in their dorm on Purdue University's campus will be held in police custody without bond before he goes on trial, a judge has ordered.

Jin Mi Sha, 22, was formally charged with murder Thursday, nearly a week after police say he killed Varun Manish Chheda, 20, in what officials called an unprovoked attack.

A trial date for Sha has yet to be scheduled. He's scheduled to appear for a hearing on Dec. 2 in Tippecanoe Circuit Court.

When officers arrived, they found Cheda dead and sitting in a chair and Sha with what appeared to be blood on his clothing and body.

There was also a folding knife on the floor, which Sha later admitted was his. He told police he used the knife to kill Chheda while he was sitting in the chair where police found him, according to the affidavit.

IMO
I didn't see anything on Dec 2 hearing

 

[savagewoman]

Purdue murder suspect was 'student of concern' ahead of dorm-room stabbing

Those "student of concern" reports involved Ji Min Sha's mental health, according to arguments Friday by Sha's defense attorneys.

His attorneys believe Sha is incompetent to stand trial and are pushing for an insanity defense.

But a judge wants more proof.

He set a hearing for 8 a.m. Dec. 15 to hear from Sha himself.

 

[LordMo]

They have updated the article....
"Chheda had been gaming and talking with friends online through Discord on Tuesday night when they suddenly heard screaming on the call."

IMO so his gaming buddies didn't call 911 but the suspect did and then was arrested right away. It was also strange that most people in the dorm were not even notified that this happened and police were in the scene.
So tragic. Maybe the roomie wanted to study or sleep and the gaming bothered him.

sadly, this is a story I've heard a lot and even been part of before (thankfully with a happier ending than when it happened to my gaming pal.) It's likely that most of them didn't know exactly where he lived, or even how to contact his local police department

 

[JerseyGirl]

Experts to determine if Purdue murder suspect competent for trial

It only took about a minute of reading Ji Sha’s mental health evaluation for Tippecanoe Circuit Judge Sean Persin to question the competency of the Purdue murder suspect’s to stand trial.

www.jconline.com

Sha will receive treatment until he is determined to be competent to understand his charges and assist his attorney. At that point, Sha will stand trial for the charge of murder.

 

[savagewoman]

Hearing scheduled on possible release of accused Purdue murder’s records

The attorneys for Sha wanted his Purdue Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) medical record, but Purdue University had denied that request. Persin agreed to hold a hearing on March 8 to determine if Purdue needs to release Sha’s CAPS records to his defense.

When Purdue University received the subpoena from the Tippecanoe Courthouse in January, the university was advised not to release Sha’s records, since Purdue had not received any consent to release these records from either Sha or his defense counsel.

The defense needs to file a petition with the court to determine if there is substantial enough reason to release those records.

This is what led to Friday’s status hearing. Sha’s attorneys argued that since Sha has not assisted his attorney in the defense, these records were needed to help determine if he’s competent enough to stand trial.

To be competent, a defendant must be able to understand the proceedings and be able to assist his attorney in the defense. If he is ruled incompetent, Sha will receive treatment until he is healthy enough to stand trial.

At Sha’s last hearing, Persin appointed mental health experts to evaluate Sha and report back whether he is competent to stand trial.

IMO
Thx you Mrs daybell for educating me on competency and assisting your lawyers

One thing I didn't find out... does the state get to see them before the defense?

 

[savagewoman]

Purdue argues they should not be forced to turn over mental health records for Ji Min Sha

Purdue University is fighting a subpoena for it to turn over mental health records for Ji Min Sha, a 22-year-old student who is charged with killing his roommate.

Purdue filed court documents this week that said the subpoena is not valid and the university argued that Sha has not given it permission to disclose his mental records.

IMO
Lots of back and forth fighting over records. So there must be Purdue mental health records to fight over.

 

[savagewoman]

Accused dorm killer Ji Min Sha psychological records likely to be released

SBM

Purdue University will likely have to release Ji Min Sha's Counseling and Psychological Services medical record. But, it won't be available to the public under a protective order.

And the same will be done for redacted documents from the state Department of Child Services.

But first, the defense needs to file a report answering whether the patient-provider relationship between Sha and whoever may have treated him at Purdue is over.

Judge Wyatt also said she is taking the state's motion to compel records from a defense-hired psychologist under advisement.

The defense says since Doctor Sean Samuels is not a testifying witness, but rather a consulting expert, the request should be denied.

The state argues Samuels' report evaluating Sha's mental state was given to two court-appointed doctors by the defense as evidence. They want the raw scores and data from Samuels' evaluation of Sha to be given to the court-appointed doctors to see if they agree with Samuels.

 

[savagewoman]

Competency hearing held for Ji Min Sha murder case

SBM
Two doctors testified at Sha's competency hearing today. Both said he shows signs of schizophrenia and other mental illnesses but they need more information to confirm that.

The doctors testified that Sha is on two types of ADHD and Anti-psychotic medications. Both doctors testified that they believe he is not competent to stand trial...

Each of the doctors who testified at today's hearing say they only spoke with Sha for about five minutes because he wouldn't cooperate with them.

Purdue murder suspect's mental health history showcases troubling past

After briefly evaluating his behavior in the jail and reviewing his extensive medical and jail records, Dr. George Parker and Dr. Joanna Will said it was clear that he was not competent to stand trial.

Both psychologists visited Sha in jail in order to conduct a competency test, but he was uncooperative and displayed symptoms of schizophrenia, which concurred with their diagnosis.
This behavior prompted the physicians to delve into his medical history in hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of his mental well-being.

The physicians were unable to tell how long Sha was taking these medications or if his mental health warranted the amount of medication he was on.

While at Purdue, both physicians acknowledged that Sha was academically struggling and was on academic probation. It was then that he began demonstrating “bizarre” behavior to students and faculty.

IMO
How was he able to function in life especially still be in school? Apparently he wasn't. If you like psychology, the article is worth it to read.

 

[savagewoman]

Ji Min Sha found competent to stand trial in deadly stabbing of Purdue roommate, according to court docs
SBM
According to a Sept. 12 court filing, doctors at Logansport State Hospital found Sha competent to stand trial after months of treatment.

In his April order, Tippecanoe Circuit Court Judge Sean M. Persin wrote that Sha has reported hallucinations and has experienced chronic psychosis and delusional thoughts while in jail.

According to a Sept. 12 court filing, doctors at Logansport State Hospital found Sha competent to stand trial after months of treatment.

The judge has directed the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office to transport Sha back to the county jail.

A status conference in the case has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 29.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I was looking for an update to this trial.

I think he was later deemed incompetent and can't find that the case has gone to trial yet:

Sha, accused of killing Purdue student, again deemed incompetent to stand trial

For a second time, Ji Min Sha, who is accused of killing his Purdue University roommate, was ruled incompetent to stand trial.

eu.jconline.com

Can anyone find an update from 2024 or 2025?

 

[daybreaking]

Physician report shows Ji Min Sha 'improving' but still unfit for trial

Though a physician report reportedly shows some "clinical improvement," a judge ruled Friday morning that accused killer Ji Min Sha is still mentally unfit to stand trial.

www.purdueexponent.org

From January 2025 : "Over two years after allegedly killing his roommate in their McCutcheon dorm room, Ji Min Sha has been ruled mentally unfit to stand trial once again, delaying the time when he will face a jury by at least three more months.

"According to the physician, he has demonstrated some clinical improvement," Judge Sean Persin said in a status conference Friday morning. "We are seeing some improvement ... However, it does indicate he remains impaired by psychotic symptoms." "