Purdue student who confessed to killing his roommate charged with murder

October 14, 2022

A Purdue University student who confessed to murdering his roommate last week has been charged with murder.

Ji Min Sha, a 22-year-old cybersecurity major from Seoul, South Korea, was charged on Oct. 13 with one count of murder in the killing of his 20-year-old roommate Varun Manish Chheda.

Sha, who goes by the nickname “Jimmy,” stabbed Chheda multiple times in the head and neck with a knife on Oct. 5 before he called the police to report the incident.

Chheda, a 20-year-old senior majoring in data science, was found dead in a chair in their room at McCutcheon Hall. According to a preliminary autopsy report, the victim died of “multiple sharp-force traumatic injuries.”

Sha was found in the same room with blood on his body and clothing when he was taken into custody.

Although prosecutors have not released a motive in the killing, Sha told reporters, “I was blackmailed,” without elaborating at an initial hearing last week. He also apologized to the victim’s family and told reporters, “I love my family,” before he was brought into jail.

He is currently being held without bail.

If Sha is convicted, he could face between 45 and 60 years in prison, according to Tippecanoe County Magistrate Sarah Wyatt.

Featured Image via ABC 7 Chicago

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