Police: No foul play suspected in death of missing SIU student
Authorities do not suspect any foul play was involved in the death of a Southern Illinois University student from north suburban Morton Grove, who was found dead in a wooded area Tuesday after he had been missing for nearly a week, police said.
The body of Pravin M. Varughese, 19, was found about 9:45 a.m. in a wooded area near the 1400 block of East Main Street, Carbondale police said in a release.
Varughese had last been seen about 11 p.m. Wednes- day at a party in the 600 block of West College Street in Carbondale, police and the man’s family said previously.
Investigators have learned Varughese accepted a ride from a recent acquaintance on West College Street just before midnight that night, the release said. But Varughese got out of the vehicle following a dispute and fled into a wooded area.
While his exact cause of death is still being investigated, police believe the difficult terrain and low temperatures made it difficult for him to find his way out of the wooded area, the release said.
No foul play is suspected in his death, according to police.
“On behalf of our family, we wanted to thank you all for your kind words, endless support and prayers for Pravin,” his family said in a statement posted on Facebook.
Originally from Morton Grove, he was a sophomore at SIU studying criminal justice, his sister Priya Varughese said. He lived in an off-campus apartment with his cousin and another roommate. The Jackson County coroner’s office continues to investigate his exact cause of death, police said.