Autopsy Confirms Murder-Suicide As Cause of Death of Wealthy Indian American Family of Three in Boston Suburb

The Indian American family of three found dead inside their home in Dover, Massachusetts on Dec. 28, died in a murder-suicide, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office announced. Rakesh Kamal, 57, shot dead his 54-year-old wife, Teena, and 18-year-old Arianna before turning the gun on himself inside their $5 million mansion, in the affluent town located about 15 miles outside of Boston. Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s office said in a statement to the Boston Globe yesterday (Jan. 2). According to the DA’s office, “a .40-caliber Glock 22 was used to carry out the slayings, though it had not been registered to Rakesh Kamal,” Boston25News reported, adding that “the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been asked to assist in tracking the gun’s history.”

According to the New York Daily News, police were called to the home by Rakesh Kamal’s brother, “who arrived to find the front door open and the emergency alarm blaring.” When he discovered bloody sheets in Arianna’s room, he decided to call 911, the Daily News reported, citing dispatch logs obtained by the Boston Globe. He told authorities that he went to another bedroom, but “didn’t lift up the sheets to see who was there,” according to Daily News. 

The Kamals, according to the Post, “had purchased the 19,000-square-foot estate – which boasts 11 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms – for $4 million in 2019, according to the records.” Despite an initially successful venture and financial challenges, the mansion faced foreclosure a year ago and was sold for $3 million to Wilsondale Associates LLC, the Post reported. The Daily Mail noted that the home “sits on a private road dotted with about eight mansions that sell for upward of $5 million each, and are sprawled across acres of land.”

Rakesh Kamal, also known as Rick, was a graduate of Boston University, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Stanford University. Along with his wife, he launched EduNova, an Ed-tech company that introduced a “student success system” aimed at enhancing students’ academic performance from middle school to college. The company is no longer operational. It was established in 2016 and dissolved in December 2021. Before joining EduNova, Rakesh Kamal held numerous executive positions in the education-consulting field.

Teena Kamal, an alumna of Harvard University and Delhi University, filed for bankruptcy in September 2022, listing between $1 million and $10 million in liabilities. Unfortunately, the case was dismissed two months later due to insufficient documentation.

See Also

Family and Friends Overwhelmed By Support for Indian Classical Dancer Shot to Death in Missouri 

Their daughter Arianna was a student of Vermont’s Middlebury College and had graduated from Milton Academy. The school released a statement in response to her untimely death, reported USA Today. “Our thoughts are with all members of the Kamal family, their friends and our entire school community,” the statement read. “Aria was a sweet, smart, kind young woman who was just beginning to realize her full potential,” the statement added. 

In her short time at Middlebury College, Aria, a Stewart Hall resident, was participating in a first-year seminar, Mindfulness in Education, taught by Melissa Hammerle, visiting assistant professor of education studies. She also was involved in MiddMyco, an organization for students with an interest in foraging, and with the Women in Computer Science student organization. Hammerle described Aria as “a brilliant student and an amazing singer” who recently read at Middlebury’s Lessons and Carols service and who sang in the College Choir. “She loved singing and was interested in going to Italy with the College opera group,” she said. Her mother, Teena, who served as president of the Upper School Parents’ Association, was” a committed and caring advocate for both parents and students at Milton,” the statement added.