Unemployed Indian computer programmer Lakshminivasa Rao Nerusu has been charged with the murder of his wife and two children
NEW YORK: Unemployed Indian computer programmer Lakshminivasa Rao Nerusu has been charged with the murder of his wife and two children, a week after their bodies were found in their apartment near Detroit.
The warrant issued on Monday charges Nerusu, 42, with three counts of first degree murder of his wife Jayalakshmi, 37; daughter Tejasvi, 14; and son Siva Kumar, 12.
The three were found dead Oct 27 in their apartment in Novi township, 20 km from Detroit, after Nerusu's brother told the police that he had not heard from the family for several days. The cause of death was extensive head and neck trauma.
A charge of murder in the first degree includes premeditation and deliberation, Novi Police said in a statement. If convicted, Nerusu faces a life term with no possibility of parole.
While Nerusu's exact whereabouts remain unknown, Novi Police said investigators have confirmed that he left the US shortly after the murders were committed.
Police is working with several national and international law enforcement agencies to locate Nerusu, the statement said.
Investigators had said Nerusu, who hails from Andhra Pradesh in south India, lost his job recently and the family car was repossessed about a month ago. But there was no record of domestic violence against him.
The family had lived in Michigan for about two years, and had previously lived in Texas and Illinois, according to the police.
The murder charges against Nerusu come even as his family members in Hyderabad believe he was also killed.
Four weeks ago, Indian American Karthick Rajaram had killed his family of five in Los Angeles before shooting himself. Rajaram, 45, was discovered Oct 6 to have shot dead five family members - his wife, mother-in-law and three sons - before turning the gun on himself. He was said to have been despondent after losing heavily on the stock market.
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