Kamal family deaths in Massachusetts ruled murder-suicide

THE deaths of a wealthy Indian American couple and their daughter in Massachusetts, US, last week have been ruled a murder-suicide by medical authorities after autopsy.

Rakesh Kamal, 57, his wife Teena Kamal, 54 and their daughter Arianna Kamal, 18 were found dead in their $5 million mansion in Dover, Massachusetts on December 28, 2023. A firearm was found near Rakesh.

A press release issued by the office of Norfolk district attorney Michael Morrissey on Tuesday (2) said that autopsy results issued by the office of the chief medical examiner confirmed that Teena and her daughter Arianna were victims of homicide by gunshot.

Rakesh died from a “gunshot wound consistent with being self-inflicted”. The final autopsy report is likely to be completed in the coming weeks.

The release further said that while full forensic and ballistics testing of the gun has not been finalised, the firearm found with Rakesh is consistent with a .40 calibre Glock 22.

However, the firearm was not registered in Rakesh’s name and “he was not licensed to possess it,” the release added.

Massachusetts state police have contacted the bureau of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives for assistance in determining the origin of the firearm. The incident remains under investigation by Dover and Massachusetts state police.

Last week, Morrissey said that the initial investigation indicated the incident was a case of domestic violence and did not initially indicate the involvement of outside parties.

Dover Police received a 911 call requesting a response to the Kamal residence at around 7.24pm on last Thursday (28) by a family member who had stopped by to check on the family.

The police found the Kamal family dead when it arrived on the scene. Investigators had worked the crime scene through much of the night.

Morrissey has said that there had been no prior police reports or domestic incidents tied to the home.

The family’s sprawling mansion, estimated to be worth $5.45m, went into foreclosure a year ago and was sold for $3m, according to a report in The New York Post.

The Kamals purchased the 19,000-square-foot estate, which boasts 11 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms, for $4m in 2019, according to reports.

The slain family members were the only ones living in the mansion at the time, the DA said, adding that the area, one of the richest in the state, was a nice neighbourhood and a safe community.

Teena and her husband, who also went by Rick, had previously run a now-defunct education systems company called EduNova. The couple appeared to have faced financial problems in recent years, online records show. Their company was launched in 2016 but was dissolved in December 2021, state records show.

(PTI)