A wealthy Indian-origin couple and their teenage daughter were discovered deceased in their mansion in one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Massachusetts, USA.
Rakesh Kamal, 57, his wife Teena, 54, and their 18-year-old daughter Ariana were found dead on Thursday evening, according to Norfolk District Attorney (DA) Michael Morrissey.
Authorities suggest that a preliminary investigation indicates a "fatal incident of domestic violence" with no external involvement.
The Kamal family, originally from India, had established themselves in the tech industry in the United States and ran an education systems company called EduNova. The company is now defunct.
Rakesh Kamal, an alumnus of Boston University, the MIT Sloan School of Management, and Stanford University, had a significant career in education consulting and co-launched an Ed-tech company with his wife in 2016.
EduNova marketed a 'student success system' designed to improve the grades of students in middle school, high school, and college, as reported by The Boston Globe newspaper.
Despite initial success, the company was dissolved in December 2021, marking the beginning of a financial crisis for the couple, known as Rick and Teena.
Their expansive mansion went into foreclosure a year ago and was sold to Massachusetts-based Wilsondale Associates LLC for $3 million. The estate was estimated to be worth $5.45 million at the time of sale in 2019.
Teena Kamal, an alumna of Harvard University and Delhi University in India, filed for bankruptcy in September 2022, further highlighting the financial distress the couple was facing.
Police received a call at 7:24 pm on Thursday from a relative of the Kamal family who had come to check on them after not hearing from them for days.
The three members of the Kamal family were the only occupants of the mansion at the time, officials said, noting that the area, one of the wealthiest in the state, is "a nice neighborhood, a safe community."
Rakesh, Teena, and Ariana's bodies were discovered inside the house when the police arrived. The Norfolk District Attorney stated that a definitive motive for the "terrible tragedy" will be determined after further investigation, and they are waiting for the medical examiner's ruling to decide whether to classify the incident as a suicide or murder.
However, a gun was found near Rakesh Kamal's body. "All I can tell you is there was a gun on the premises, and it was apparent to all those that went in that all three members of the family were dead," said Mr. Morrissey.
Ariana, the 18-year-old daughter, was a student at Middlebury College, a private liberal arts school in Vermont, studying neuroscience. Her former school, Milton Academy, described her as a sweet, smart, and kind young woman who was "just beginning to realize her full potential."
Officials noted that a homicide has not been reported in Dover since 2020, making this incident particularly shocking.