“Obviously it's an assault."
The parents of Suchir Balaji, the 26-year-old OpenAI whistleblower found dead in San Francisco, claim a second bullet was missed in the autopsy that ruled his death a suicide.
Suchir died on November 26, just a month after raising concerns about how ChatGPT was being trained.
His body was found with a gunshot wound to the head, near his bathroom door in Mint Hill. Blood was found throughout the apartment.
His parents, Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy, insist he was murdered to silence him.
They paid for independent tests, including a second autopsy and CT scans.
They said two radiologists found what appeared to be a second bullet in Suchir’s head.
Dr Daniel Cousin, of Radsurity in Florida, said: “A second bullet probably entered through the mouth.
“No clear entry wound seen but it is lodged in the back of the throat at the skull base/clivus.”
Poornima said the second autopsy revealed injuries to her son’s tongue that could not have been caused by the gunshot to his forehead, which travelled at an odd downward angle, missed his brain, and lodged in the back of his neck.
The report read: “The tongue shows extensive laceration and discolouration… with a centralised, nearly oval-shaped defect at the distal.”
They also claimed Balaji had a broken cheekbone and a side head injury not mentioned in the official report.
A graphic image from the scene showed blood on his knee, which they believe came from another wound.
Poornima said: “Obviously it’s an assault.
“Why is there bleeding and a wound on his knee? Why is his cheekbone broken? Why [was a] date rape drug found in the body?
“How can someone sedated shoot themselves in a weird downward angle?”
Poornima said clumps of Suchir Balaji’s hair were found near the body and may have been torn out in a struggle.
She also questioned the lack of blood on the 9mm Glock found at the scene, saying it was suspicious.
The official autopsy found Suchir had a blood alcohol level of 0.178 and large amounts of GHB in his system. He also had traces of amphetamines and other stimulants.
The autopsy confirmed the bullet entered at a downward angle, missed the brain, and lodged in his neck. It concluded the wound would have been fatal due to spinal injuries.
Still, his parents argue he could have survived briefly and died from blood loss.
They said he was not suicidal, noting job offers and speaking invitations in the days before his death. One message from Jane Street discussed a salary between $850,000 and $2 million. Another asked him to speak at UC Berkeley on November 18.
Suchir replied: “Shoot, unfortunately I’m out of town on vacation 11/16–11/23. If there’s another date that works for you, I’m up for it.”
Suchir Balaji’s exact time of death is unclear, but authorities believe he died the night of November 22. His body was found four days later after a welfare check.
Poornima said security cameras in the building and garage were not working.
She claimed:
“His murder conspiracy was executed over long-term planning and watching Suchir.”
Despite their claims, San Francisco’s medical examiner and police upheld the suicide ruling.
They said the apartment was secure, with no signs of forced entry or disturbance. Footage and key fob data showed no one else entered the home.
Police Chief Bill Scott wrote to the family:
“These facts, taken together, support that Mr Balaji was alone at the time of the incident.
“There is insufficient evidence to find Mr Balaji’s death was the result of homicide.”
The Glock pistol had one spent casing. Gunshot residue was found on Balaji’s hands and his DNA was on the weapon.
The report acknowledged the absence of soot or powder burns may have been due to decomposition.
The case is now closed. Police say it will only reopen if new, chargeable evidence emerges.
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