A Murder Ignored, and a Family Looking for Answers. Uncover the Truth In WHO KILLED MY SON?
–The Two-Hour True Crime Special Will be Available to Stream Exclusively on discovery+ Starting March 23rd –
(Silver Spring, Md.) – In 2014 Pravin Varughese, an Indian American student at Southern Illinois University, went to a house party in Carbondale, IL. He was never seen alive again. It took five days to discover his body, but the push to find out how Pravin’s life truly ended lasted years. Rumors abounded that the 19-year-old’s death was his own doing, and accusations of drugs, alcohol and foul play inundated the case. But Pravin’s mother, Lovely Varughese, knew her son, and she felt certain there was more to the story than the authorities let on. Fighting what she believed to be prejudice, deception, and a flawed legal system at every turn, Lovely refused to give up on the memory of Pravin. Witness the lengths the Varughese family went through to prove that their only son was not the cause of his own death, and that the truth is worth fighting for. This two-hour special is executive produced and narrated by acclaimed television journalist Soledad O’Brien as she reports on the nuances behind this case and follows a family as they searched for justice. WHO KILLED MY SON? streams exclusively on discovery+ beginning March 23rd.
“The mystery behind this young man’s death is just too much for any mother to bear. When the criminal justice system failed to get answers, she began an epic fight for justice, marshalling a community of supporters to hold officials accountable. What they discovered was nothing less than shocking,” says executive producer Soledad O’Brien.
“We are proud to bring this incredibly moving story of perseverance to discovery+,” says Lisa Holme, Group SVP Content and Commercial Strategy for discovery+. “Lovely Varguhese’s advocacy for her son took years of working against racism and prejudice, and hopefully by sharing her story, other families will not have to endure the same fight.”
This discovery+ original follows the challenges the Varughese family faced as they fought for an investigation into their son’s disappearance. From pushing local authorities for a transparent investigation, to consistently facing what she believed is systemic racism because of the color of their skin, this Indian American family exhausted all avenues to find out what really happened to their son. Now Lovely Varughese comes forward to share her story, joined by her family’s advocate and interviews with law enforcement, friends and those connected to the case. Through poignant, emotional and jarring interviews, this special probes for answers to the question: was Pravin murdered, or was it an accident as law enforcement initially believed? And should someone be put behind bars for his untimely death?
WHO KILLED MY SON? is produced for discovery+ by Texas Crew Productions and SO’B Productions. Executive Producers for Texas Crew are David Karabinas and Brad Bernstein, and Executive Producers for SO’B are Soledad O’Brien and Jo Honig. For discovery+, Dianna Sperrazza is Executive Producer.
About discovery+
discovery+ is the definitive non-fiction, real life subscription streaming service. discovery+ has the largest-ever content offering of any new streaming service at launch, featuring a wide range of exclusive, original series across popular, passion verticals in which Discovery brands have a strong leadership position, including lifestyle and relationships; home and food; true crime; paranormal; adventure and natural history; as well as science, tech and the environment, and a slate of high-quality documentaries. For more, visit discoveryplus.com or find it on a variety of platforms and devices, including ones from Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Roku and Samsung. The special will be available to stream on discovery+. You can follow discovery+ on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
CONTACT: Justine Doiron
Justine_Doiron@discovery.com 646-330-7874