(KTVI) – A St. Louis University student is in Carbondale, IL, leading the effort to find her missing brother. 19 year old Pravin Varughese was last seen Wednesday night. The SIU student is a criminal justice major. His sister says he wants to be police officer.
“This is not like Pravin,” said Priya Varughese. Other St. Louis University students joined her in Carbondale for a campus vigil on Monday night. More than 100 people lit candles and prayed for some answers.
“Seeing all these people out here brings us some hope,” said Dakota Reynolds.
The Carbondale police department has issued updates on the case through its website, www.carbondalepolice.com. There have been helicopter searches and police dogs used with no results.
Based on phone records, there is some indication Varughese had been in an argument or a fight but police have not released any information about any possible leads. Varughese is from the Chicago area. His sister says her brother would call home every day just to make sure his parents didn’t worry about him.
“We don’t know where he is,” said Priya Varughese. “We just want our brother back.”
Family and friends have raised enough money to offer a $15,000 reward. Some of the money has come from complete strangers. Anyone with information on the case can call Carbondale Crime Stoppers at (618) 549-COPS (2677). Anonymous tips may also be made by selecting the “Crime Stoppers” tab located on the main page of this website.
