Varughese Trial Starts

Haven't heard much about the Pravin Varughese case in recent months. The trial started quietly earlier this month with the prosecution turning over to Gaege Bethune's attorneys a number of social media posts, giving evidence to Bethune's state of mind at the time of the death.

More on Chief O'Guinn's Firing

The Carbondale Times has a long look at the current situation surrounding the firing of Jody O'Guinn, while the Southern looks at the situation from O'Guinn's viewpoint. Meanwhile, Interim chief Jeff Grubbs, who held the position once before 2008-2009 says the department will take things one step at a time.

I did speak briefly with Grubbs Tuesday evening and he repeated that the department will take things slowly in the wake of O'Guinn's firing. When I asked him if he planed to seek the position permanently, he smiled and said it was way too early to even think about such a thing.

Here's an audio interview by Monica Zukas with the  parents of Molly Young and Pravin Varughese after the announcement of O'Guinn's firing. In case you don't want to sit through it, both families are quite happy O'Guinn is gone but feel the police department needs further investigation.

Lawsuit in Varughese Death

According to this article in the American Bazaar, Pravin Varughese's family will file two lawsuits for $1 million each, one against the city for alleged incompetency of the police force, and one against Gaege Bethune, the man who gave Varughese a ride the night of his death and from whose car Varughese fled after a struggle.

In the column, Varughese's mother accuses Carbondale police of botching the investigation and indicates she believes Bethune is guilty of murdering her son.

Pravin Varughese Update

In an interview with Monica Zukas, attorney for the Varughese family Charles Stegmeyer said that the pathologist hired by the Varughese family to examine their son's body had detected "blunt force trauma to the head". This rather contradicts earlier statements that no evidence of foul play had been found. Certainly will be interesting to see where this goes.

Update:  Today's Carbondale Times (print only but available around town) has more info, including that Varughese had suffered multiple head injuries, a bloody nose and a defensive would prior to his death.

More on Varughese Investigation

According to this story in the DE, the Pravin Varughese investigation keeps getting more and more convoluted. A second autopsy commissioned by the family reports  a "significant number of bruises on the hands, head and torso". The original report indicated no suspicion of foul play and no mention of bruising.

Additionally, the current investigation says Varughese's body was found with no shoes, the first time I remember this point coming up in the investigation, as prior police reports made no mention of him missing shoes

Coupled with the Molly Young case, the questions surrounding Varughese's death promise to keep troubling the Carbondale police department for some time to come.

Pravin Varughese Death

The results of Pravin Varughese's toxicology report came back negative, indicating he was neither drunk or under the influence of drugs when he died.  The thing that bothers me about Chief O'Guinn's statement in the story is that the terrain where Varughese fled to is "difficult terrain". If you are familiar with the area, it is not. Located just east of Buffalo Wild Wings, the area is quite flat and covered with small trees. While in spring and summer, the area can get quite swampy, in 14 degree temperatures, the ground would have frozen solid and, with no leaves on the trees, the lights of Buffalo Wild Wings are easily visible less than 100 yards away from the area into which Varughese ran. Assuming he was conscious, he could have made it to the building in less than five minutes.

However, the bank from Highway 13 down to that area is about 30 feet long and fairly steep. If Varughese tried to run down it in the dark, he could easily have slipped, fallen and knocked himself out. Lying on the frozen ground, in what are described as a t-shirt and jeans, he could have died from exposure in a couple of hours.