As dusk fell on the warm summer evening of Aug. 19, several hundred Actonians of diverse backgrounds filled the grassy amphitheatre at NARA Park for a “Community Vigil in Memory of Sudha & Siddharth.”
The vigil was organized by local clergy and the president of AB STEAM, Susri Anuradha Mazumdar. Pastor Willie Barnett of the Great Road Church and Ms. Mazumdar welcomed the group, emphasizing the value of being present for each other as a community in a time of grief.
The stage was filled with members of the Chinmaya Mission of Boston and the Acton Shloka Group, who chanted the Vishnu Sahasranama, a Hindu chant that enumerates the thousand names of Vishnu and expresses the desire for universal peace.
Ms. Mazumdar read messages from Sudha’s friends, neighbors, and colleagues, which emphasized her steadfastness and devotion to her family. Six of Siddharth’s young friends, who are all rising freshmen at ABRHS, found the courage to come forward and speak their own tributes, giving the listeners who hadn’t known him a sense of Sid as a fun-loving companion and loyal friend. Ms. Mazumdar then explained that the bereaved father/husband, Aravind, has asked for privacy in his grief and wasn’t able to attend the vigil. She read a letter from Aravind to the vigil attendees thanking them for their support and saying that “there is a comfort to me in knowing that Sid is with his mother.”
Clergy of many faiths then came forward to gather light from a central candle and carry it into the community. Candle to candle, the light was spread throughout the gathering.
When every face was lit by a shining candle, the group observed a minute of silence for Sudha and then a minute of silence for Siddharth. Finally, Rev. Dr. Cynthia Landrum of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Assabet Valley offered closing words, encouraging people to reach a hand towards someone standing near them, representing the interdependent web of life. Knots of people lingered long after the formal closing of the event, sharing memories and comfort.
Two found dead in Acton home
By Kim Kastens and Acton Exchange Team
On Tuesday, Aug. 11, a mother and 14-year old boy were found dead in their Acton home. Their 17-year old son/brother is in custody and has been charged with their murder. Acton Exchange is withholding the names of the family members, particularly because the suspect is a minor. This is an actively developing story and may be updated.
At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Acton Police Chief Doug Sturniolo provided information at a press conference held at the Acton Public Safety Building. Ryan stressed that this is an active investigation and that much is not yet known.
Ryan recounted that at 6:37 p.m., on Tuesday, Aug. 11, the owner of a home on Martha Lane in Acton called the Acton police requesting a wellness check at his home. He was worried because a tutor had gone to the house for a scheduled meeting and hadn’t been able to get access, and then the father had not been able to reach anyone by phone. Acton police went to the house and found the mother and the 14-year old son dead. The mother was last seen alive when the father left for work around 7:00 a.m., and the 14-year old was last seen alive when he left “a recreation program” around noon.
The 17-year old son was missing, as was the mother’s car. Police issued a bulletin seeking the 17-year old or the car, and asked the media to spread this information to the public. Police in Wayland spotted the car in a parking lot while responding to another matter. The missing 17-year old was in the car, and was taken into custody without incident. Ryan stated that the suspect is being charged with two counts each of murder, assault and battery on a household or family member, and assault and battery, as well as single counts of use of a vehicle without authority and theft of a motor vehicle.
Ryan concluded her comments by saying that this has been a “dark day” for this community, this school, this father, placing “an enormous weight on our kids.” She left the listeners with one lesson: Think about the people we love, especially if we have family members alone, share our concern. We are only “at the beginning of a long and dark process.”
Acton Police Chief Sturniolo then stepped to the microphone and assured residents that there is no ongoing threat. Acton Boxborough Regional School District will have support in place for students. He expressed his thanks to the Acton first responders, the Wayland police department who had apprehended the suspect, and the media who had spread the word. In response to a reporter’s question, he said that the Acton police had had one previous contact with the suspect, as a runaway.
The cause of death has not yet been determined and the motive was not discussed at the press conference. However, Chief Stuniolo stated that the 17-year old had recently been engaged in some “concerning behaviors.” He had been using ChatGPT to create “theoretical ideas or fantasy stories relating to killing his family.”
On Wednesday afternoon, all was calm and quiet on Martha Lane, with almost no visible trace of the activities of the prior evening. On a neighboring street, a parent and child came outside to watch the eclipse. They lent this reporter a pair of eclipse glasses, and together we watched the unearthly spectacle of the sun with a bite out of its edge. The child went inside and the parent declined to comment on the events of the previous evening.
According to media reports, including the Lowell Sun and the Boston Globe, the suspect was arraigned on the non-murder charges in Lowell juvenile court on Wednesday afternoon. Because juvenile court doesn’t handle murder charges, a second arraignment was held in Concord District Court on Thursday. Not-guilty pleas were entered on his behalf on all charges. The suspect is being held without bail until a probable cause court hearing on September 11. Defense attorney Debra DeWitt told the Lowell Sun that the family had moved to Acton around a year ago from elsewhere in Massachusetts for better educational opportunities for the family and for greater support.
State Senator Jamie Eldridge, an Acton native, posted information from a recent article along with the following statement: “Shocking and heartbreaking news in Acton. I am thinking of this Acton family, the NARA park neighborhood, the close knit Acton Indian community and the Acton Boxborough schools. Thank you to the Middlesex District Attorney’s office for dealing with these tragic murders involving a minor sensitively, and the Acton and Wayland Police Departments for acting so quickly.”
On his Facebook page, Representative Simon Cataldo offered both condolences and links to mental health resources for students and others.
- Urgent and non-emergency support is available through the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District. Counselors, school psychologists, and adjustment counselors are available to support students and families, and the district has compiled mental-health resources for the community, which can be accessed here: https://www.abschools.org/mental-health-resources.
- For anyone experiencing emotional distress or who is concerned about a loved one, you can call or text 988 24/7 for free, confidential support. The Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line is also available 24/7 at 833-773-2445 and can connect individuals and families with behavioral health services and crisis support. https://www.masshelpline.com/.
- The Town of Acton’s Community Services Coordinator is also available to help residents connect with mental-health and other community resources. Acton’s Community Services Coordinator can be reached at 978-929-6651 or through their website: https://www.acton-ma.gov/116/Community-Resources.
Kim Kastens is the managing editor of the Acton Exchange and a member of the Board. All editors contributed reporting to this story.
