WEST LAFAYETTE (ABC News/WRTV) — The parents of a Purdue student killed in his dorm room earlier this month are sharing their grief and how they want to honor him.
Police say Varun Chheda, 20, died in "an unprovoked attack" after he was stabbed multiple times, allegedly by his roommate.
"I miss him terribly. Because he was my son, because he was my friend," Seema Dedhiya, Chheda's mom, told ABC News in a new interview.
Dedhiya drove Chheda back to Purdue after a long weekend with family. Chheda texted "goodnight mama" around 11:45 p.m.
Later that night, the data science major was gaming online with friends when the attack happened. Purdue University police found Chheda dead shortly after 12:40 a.m. Oct. 5 as they responded to McCutcheon Hall.
"You would never believe it in a million years. I mean, I would believe that, you know, there could be a fire or there could be an earthquake, or there could be, you know, a car wreck or any other kind of, you know, accident, but never, never something like this," Manish Chheda, Varun's dad, said.
An autopsy found Varun died from "multiple sharp force trauma" injuries to his head and neck. His death was ruled a homicide.
Both parents want to honor their son by living as he did: with compassion, kindness and a curiosity for life.
"What will you miss most?" asked ABC's Eva Pilgrim.
"His laugh [and] his brilliance," Dedhiy said.
"In the time that he had, he touched a lot of people in a positive way," Manish said.
You can read more about Varun here.
-
Bloomington City Council approves amended salary bump for elected officials
The Bloomington City-County Council has approved an amended ordinance to bump the salaries of elected officials, but not nearly as much as previously suggested.
1 killed in Westfield house fire
Westfield Fire Department responded to a fire with entrapment around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. They found a victim that was determined to be deceased.
Noblesville Santa keeping holiday magic alive, crafting wooden toys
One of Santa’s workshops is closer than you think. In a store front window on 9th Street in Noblesville is where you’ll find the city’s own Santa Claus putting together wooden toys.
13-year-old attempts to rob woman with airsoft gun on Indy's north side
A 13-year-old male was arrested for attempted robbery after pointing what was later determined to be an airsoft gun at a woman and asking for her phone and wallet.
