MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF: Pravin Varughese
When 19-year-old Southern Illinois University student Pravin Varughese dies unexpectedly, police quickly rule his death a tragic accident and close the case. But for many, the facts just don’t quite add up. His mother’s years-long battle for justice is marked with soaring highs and dizzying lows – but even with so much progress, there are still unanswered questions.
For our friends in the Deaf and Signing community, you can view an ASL version of this episode.
Lovely and Pravin
Photo Provided by Lovely Varughese
Pravin and his mother, Lovely
Photo Provided by Lovely Varughese
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Episode Source Material
- Who killed my son? (film)
- Interview with Lovely Varughese on April 27, 2022
- Jackson County State’s Attorney Michael Carr’s report on Pravin Varughese death investigation
- Dateline: At the edge of town. Season 27, episode 49
- Southern Illinoisan: Witnesses spell out Feb 12 events, by Dustin Duncan
- The Paducah Sun: Missing SIU student’s family offers reward, by Associated Press
- Chicago Tribune: Family of missing SIU student offers reward, by Jonathan Bullington
- The American Bazaar: Southern Illinois University student Pravin Varughese found dead in Carbondale after missing for 6 days, by Deepak Chitnis
- Southern Illinoisan: Pathologists explain findings, by Dustin Duncan
- The Paducah Sun: Coroner: Student likely died of hypothermia, by Associated Press
- The Daily Egyptian: Mother of SIU student found dead 3 years ago: ‘I feel like I’m walking forward, not back,’ By Olivia Spiers
- YouTube: The Tragic Case of Pravin Varughese, Part 1, uploaded by Stephanie Harlowe
- The Daily Egyptian: Gaege Bethune indicted for the death of Pravin Varughese, by Cory Ray
- Southern Illinoisan: Trooper testified on day four, by Dustin Duncan
- Southern Illinoisan: Bethune trial starts Monday, by Dustin Duncan
- Southern Illinoisan: Attorneys make opening statements, by Dustin Duncan
- Southern Illinoisan: Bethune fires attorney, by Dustin Duncan
- Mount Carmel Register: New lawyer attacking conviction in SIU student’s death
Suggested Episodes
WANTED: Justice for Rhys Pocan & MMIW Part 2
In 2021, we set out to cover the case of Rhys Pocan, a 35-year-old Indigenous woman who was murdered in Wisconsin in the ‘80s. In Part 2, we look into cases of two other female dismemberment victims in Wisconsin with striking similarities to Rhys Pocan’s.
WANTED: Justice for Rhys Pocan & MMIW Part 1
In 2021, we set out to cover the case of Rhys Pocan, a 35-year-old Indigenous woman who was murdered in Wisconsin in the ‘80s. But while we were in the field, we uncovered a disturbing pattern of murders with similarities to Rhys’ that were just too blatant to ignore. So, we spent the next three years working with local and federal law enforcement to try and get to the bottom of it.
WANTED: The Keddie Cabin Killer
A family’s brutal murder rocks a tiny California town and leaves behind too many unanswered questions.
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