Suchir Balaji death investigation – Suchir Balaji case US police term it active investigation from suicide

The mysterious death of Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher, has taken a new turn as the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) has termed the case as an “active and open investigation”. This development comes amid increasing scrutiny and unresolved questions surrounding the initial conclusion of suicide.

The SFPD and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, responsible for investigating sudden, violent, or unexpected deaths, have declined to release the full incident report, as reported by The San Francisco Standard.

FROM SUICIDE TO SUSPICION

Initially, the SFPD ruled Balaji’s death a suicide, asserting there was no evidence of foul play. However, it has been challenged by Balaji’s family, who have alleged that there were signs of a struggle in his apartment. His parents have called for an FBI investigation, hired private investigators, and commissioned a second autopsy.

The second autopsy reportedly contradicts the police’s initial findings. According to Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao, her son was shot in the back of the head from an angle that would make it impossible for him to have pulled the trigger himself. She also cited blood spatter on the bathroom floor and signs that Balaji might have been trying to escape when he was attacked.

“There was an assault on him,” Ramarao insisted, pointing to evidence such as Balaji’s fallen toothbrush, suggesting he was ambushed while brushing his teeth. However, the family has not provided the second autopsy report to The Standard, and the private pathologist who conducted it has not commented.

ALLEGATIONS OF A COVER-UP

Ramarao has accused the San Francisco city government of facilitating a cover-up and has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest in the initial investigation. She alleged that the pathologist might have been complicit with the city’s medical examiner.

The family’s new attorney, Joe Goethals, has cautioned that while the second autopsy raises important questions, it might not provide definitive proof of foul play.

David Serrano Sewell, director of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, stated that “there are no reports for issuance at this time” when asked about the availability of Balaji’s autopsy.

This delay has also raised concerns, as the National Association of Medical Examiners mandates that postmortem reports be completed within 90 days to maintain accreditation. Balaji’s death occurred 43 days ago.

GROWING PUBLIC INTEREST

Prominent figures, including the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, have expressed scepticism about the suicide ruling, further fuelling public interest in the case.

Questions have also been raised about whether Balaji’s whistleblowing activities at OpenAI, the maker of the hugely popular ChatGPT, and other artificial intelligence companies might have made him a target. Balaji, who left OpenAI in August, had spoken out against OpenAI’s data-gathering practices and alleged copyright violations in the development of ChatGPT.