Indian-origin teen charged with killing mother, brother, used ChatGPT for ‘fantasies’ of family murder

A 17-year-old boy of Indian origin has been charged with murdering his mother and younger brother at their suburban Massachusetts home, with authorities saying he had been using ChatGPT to search for "theoretical ideas or fantasies" about killing his family.

Who has been charged, and with what

Arjun Aravind, a resident of Acton, has been charged with two counts of murder, two counts of assault and battery on a household or family member, two counts of assault and battery, use of a vehicle without authority, and theft of a motor vehicle, in connection with the deaths of his brother Siddharth Aravind, 14, and mother Sudha Venkatesan, 45, ABC News reported.

It is alleged that Arjun fatally assaulted his mother and brother inside their home on Tuesday before fleeing the scene. Both victims were found with "obvious trauma," but the Chief Medical Examiner has yet to release information on the exact cause and manner of death. The type of weapon used in the killings also remains under investigation.

Where and when

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Acton Police Chief Douglas Sturniolo said the deaths occurred on Tuesday inside the family's home on Martha Lane in Acton, about 48 km from Boston.

How the alarm was raised

Authorities said that shortly after 6.37 pm on August 11, Acton Police received a call from Arjun's father, who had been unable to reach his family members. A tutor who was expected at the home had also been unable to make contact with anyone inside.

Arjun's father had last had contact with his wife Sudha early that morning, before he left for work. His younger son Siddharth was last seen around noon.

Mother found in the basement, brother on the first floor

After arriving at the home, police found the two victims dead inside. Siddharth was found on the first floor, and Sudha in the finished basement, authorities said.

A night-long search ends in a parking lot

Arjun was not in the home and had allegedly fled in his mother's car, police said. Investigators tried to locate him but were initially unsuccessful, and alerted law enforcement agencies and the public to watch for him.

Early Wednesday morning, police in Wayland, Massachusetts, responding to an unrelated alarm at a parking lot, found the vehicle with Arjun inside. He was taken into custody without incident.

"Concerning behaviour," including ChatGPT searches

"The subsequent investigation indicates that Arjun had recently been demonstrating concerning behaviour, including using the internet and ChatGPT to make searches for theoretical ideas or fantasies regarding killing his family," a statement by the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office said.

What happens next

Arjun was expected to be arraigned in Lowell Juvenile Court on Wednesday. Since the Juvenile Court does not have jurisdiction over a murder charge, he will be arraigned on that charge and the related assault charges in Concord District Court at a later date, news agency PTI reported.