The parents of a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student who was found dead outside on campus last week have filed a complaint against school police as they still seek answers about his death.
A friend of Akul B. Dhawan reported the 18-year-old missing on Saturday night around 1:30 am after he was unable to reach him. Dhawan remained missing for another nine hours until police found him dead on the porch of a building near the UIUC campus around 11 a.m.
While the investigation into Akul’s death continues, the Champaign County Coroner reported that preliminary autopsy findings show Akul had signs of hypothermia at the time of his death — the Midwestern city has experienced freezing temperatures in recent weeks.
“Preliminary findings showed no signs of significant trauma,” the coroner’s office said in a news release. “There was evidence of hypothermic skin changes. The final autopsy report is pending toxicology studies.”
“Preliminary information indicates that foul play was not involved and the death is initially believed to be an accident,” university police said in a statement.
Inside the Mysterious Deaths of 3 Men Found Dead in Friend’s Frozen Backyard: What We Know So Far
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2)/university-of-illinois-a2d2c9eac5bb4a09a2b46546d51d7c9b.jpg)
University of Illinois. Getty
Akul’s parents, Ish and Ritu Dhawan, met top university officials and filed a complaint of negligence against the university police, reports News-Gazette.
Ish and Ritu told the publication that Akul was found just 400 feet from where he was reported missing based on the location tracking data of Akul’s phone.
“This is bizarre that no child was ever found that was less than a block away, about a minute away, sitting there, dead, frozen to death,” Ish told the publication. “Imagine as mom and dad what goes through our minds. I visualize him every minute that my son froze to death on a college campus.”
“We really need answers,” Ritu said. “What is the evidence that they completely searched this area, around the area (they’re talking about), this half block? My child would be found.”
A police officer rescued a child who fell through the ice after crawling into a frozen lake in Arkansas
After Akul was reported missing, campus police “searched the area where the student was last seen, the dorm and the likely route between the two locations, including the main Quad and the streets,” according to a statement from university police. “Police also checked local hospitals and attempted to reach the student by phone.”
However, a search of local hospitals, the campus and surrounding areas “did not yield any additional information on his possible location.”
UIUC spokeswoman Robin Kaler said News-Gazette that the police also “approached [Akul’s] student ID information to see if he used it to enter the campus building.”
“Any loss of life, especially one as bright as Akul’s, is immeasurably tragic,” Kaler said.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A University of Illinois representative did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Friday.
University of Illinois Police asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the department at 217-333-1216. Tipsters can also submit information anonymously by contacting Champaign County Crime Stoppers at 217-373-TIPS, online at 373tips.com or through the P3 Tips mobile app.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education