Graduate student homicide investigation continues
Sydney Elliot
Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: News
The homicide investigations of an SIUE international graduate student and her relative continued Tuesday as members of the St. Louis County Police Department searched Spanish Lake in North County St. Louis for any additional evidence, including the possible weapon.
Soumya Tummala, 22-year-old electrical engineering graduate student and resident of Maryville, was found shot to death in the passenger side of a vehicle at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Officer Rick Eckhard of the St. Louis County Police Department said.
Tummala was found in the passenger side of a 1995 Taurus registered to her relative, Vikram Kumar Tummala, also a resident of Maryville, whose body surfaced from the lake at 11:45 a.m. Monday. Vikram Tummala had also been shot.
The car was parked on a boat ramp near the lake where Vikram Tummala was found. Eckhard said he was not sure how the two were related.
Besides the search for the weapon, Eckhard said no new information was available as of Wednesday.
"We pretty much had it wrapped up I think," Eckhard said. "(But) we did spend (Tuesday) up at the lake combing the area just to see if there was any additional evidence."
Eckhard said the medical examiner has finished preliminary testing on both victims, but the full report had not been released.
According to police, both victims were shot between Friday night and Saturday morning.
No arrests have been made in connection with the homicides.
Eckhard said police believe only the two victims were involved in the shooting, but they are not ruling the case a suicide-homicide because the medical examiner had not declared anything yet.
"We don't use that type of terminology," Eckhard said. "The medical examiner tells us that, because otherwise how would you know that unless there was a (secondary) witness?"
Computers and networking professor Brad Nobel said Tummala was a student in some of his classes, and he had known her since she arrived at the university.
Soumya Tummala, 22-year-old electrical engineering graduate student and resident of Maryville, was found shot to death in the passenger side of a vehicle at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, Officer Rick Eckhard of the St. Louis County Police Department said.
Tummala was found in the passenger side of a 1995 Taurus registered to her relative, Vikram Kumar Tummala, also a resident of Maryville, whose body surfaced from the lake at 11:45 a.m. Monday. Vikram Tummala had also been shot.
The car was parked on a boat ramp near the lake where Vikram Tummala was found. Eckhard said he was not sure how the two were related.
Besides the search for the weapon, Eckhard said no new information was available as of Wednesday.
"We pretty much had it wrapped up I think," Eckhard said. "(But) we did spend (Tuesday) up at the lake combing the area just to see if there was any additional evidence."
Eckhard said the medical examiner has finished preliminary testing on both victims, but the full report had not been released.
According to police, both victims were shot between Friday night and Saturday morning.
No arrests have been made in connection with the homicides.
Eckhard said police believe only the two victims were involved in the shooting, but they are not ruling the case a suicide-homicide because the medical examiner had not declared anything yet.
"We don't use that type of terminology," Eckhard said. "The medical examiner tells us that, because otherwise how would you know that unless there was a (secondary) witness?"
Computers and networking professor Brad Nobel said Tummala was a student in some of his classes, and he had known her since she arrived at the university.
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 9
HopeforPeace
posted 9/18/08 @ 10:41 AM CST
Hope her soul rests in peace. God should give strength to their family members and friends to overcome this pain.
Gautam
posted 9/19/08 @ 6:00 AM CST
Hi All,
The murder is incomprehensible. Two young lives made a simple mistake of venturing into an isolated place which proved fatal. They were snatched away by cruel fate leaving relatives in deep agony and mental shock. (Continued…)
AlwaysEvolve
posted 9/19/08 @ 1:52 PM CST
Where is the follow-up story on the local St. Louis TV stations? Why does it seem like these murders have just faded away like the lives of these two persons don't matter? Where are the fellow Indian students demanding answers for these murders? I really don't believe that Vikram shot Soumya!!! Come on SIUE international students!! You should be in an uproar demanding answers and shaking the local news media to dig deeper into these murders. (Continued…)
AlwaysEvolve
posted 9/19/08 @ 2:04 PM CST
Elliot,
Don't let this story die!!! I would like to hear more about these murders. Comments from Vikram's family or people that knew him. Comments from people who were close to Soumya. (Continued…)
AlwaysEvolve
AlwaysEvolve
posted 9/19/08 @ 2:45 PM CST
Just found an article on KSDK.com about a man in a green truck trying to offer 4 girls a ride to school this morning in SPANISH LAKE. Hmmm, is there a killer on the loose? I know my comments may seem a bit blunt, but I am outraged at how these murders are just not getting the news coverage they deserve or perhaps a strong police investigation they deserve!!!
S P P
sai
posted 9/19/08 @ 2:54 PM CST
They found the weapon somewhere in the lake
now the question is did they really suicide or is it a murder reports are yet to come.
I am soumya's friend and used to work with her adn there is no reason in thinking that she wanted to die or commit suicide, she was always jolly, exciting for every small thing, studious, workaholic,
miss you soumya
AlwaysEvolve
AlwaysEvolve
posted 9/19/08 @ 3:08 PM CST
Sai, so do any of the students on campus know anything about Vikram? Did anyone know her well enough to know what her plans were on Friday evening and why she was all the way out at Spanish Lake?
AlwaysEvolve
AE
posted 9/19/08 @ 3:12 PM CST
Let me clarify my last entry. Did anyone know Soumya well enough to know what her plans were on Friday evening?
S P P
S P P
posted 9/20/08 @ 5:18 PM CST
NO one knew what her plans were for friday evening.
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