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.
-
Thousands gather for 'No Kings Day of Defiance' protest in Indianapolis
As President Donald Trump plans to celebrate his birthday with a military parade in Washington, D.C., thousands of protesters have gathered at the Indiana Statehouse for "No Kings Day of Defiance."
Game 4: Thunder rally to top Pacers 111-104 and tie Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 10-point, second-half deficit to beat the Indiana Pacers 111-104 on Friday night and tie the NBA Finals at two games apiece.
Silver Alert issued for missing 76-year-old from Warrick County
Debra Bone, 76, is described as a white female, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 172 pounds, with gray hair and green eyes.
IPS helps recent grads stay on track after graduation
The goal is to prevent “summer melt” — an all-too-common trend where college-bound students fail to enroll in the fall despite being accepted and planning to attend.
