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New photos from the crime scene deepen the mystery behind the death of ChatGPT whistleblower Suchir Balaji. Although the authorities have declared Balaji's death a suicide, his parents have accused OpenAI and claimed he was murdered. 

After raising questions over the ethical concerns about OpenAI's practices, Balaji died in November 2024. It was declared by the police that he committed suicide but his parents demanded an investigation by the FBI in the case. The parents have even raised $85,000 to pay the fees of the lawyers, investigators, and other experts to prove that their son was murdered. 

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After the case grabbed attention, X owner Elon Musk, who was one of the founders of OpenAI but left the organisation after raising questions about its ethical practices, showed his support to Balaji's parents and called the case "extremely concerning". 

The latest photos obtained by the DailyMail showed blood pooled next to the bathroom where Balaji's head lay, and some blood was seen splattered around the bathroom way far away from the dead body, which raised questions on the suicide theory. 

The photos showed Balaji's wireless earbuds and what looked like synthetic hair on the bloodstains at his residence in San Francisco.

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His home also appeared to be ransacked “like someone was searching for something".

 

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“After seeing there is so much blood everywhere, I don’t know how they think it’s a suicide, it doesn’t look close," Balaji’s father told the Daily Mail.

Since the death of Balaji, a former employee of OpenAI, his residence has not been touched or cleaned. 

Balaji's parents, Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy, have hired a UCLA pathology professor Dinesh Rao. He wrote a preliminary report that contained photos of the crime scene showing the condition of the room. 

The photos showed the half-eaten meal of Balaji, his cluttered kitchen table, along with other areas of the one-room apartment. Rao said in his report that the surroundings indicated that a fight or resistance had taken place. One of the earbuds of Balaji was found near his bedroom, covered with bloodstains and hair strands. 

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The photos of the apartment further showed a large pool of blood outside the bathroom and his other earbud, along with a red shopping bag. 

Rao called the police investigation incomplete and inadequate, saying they missed vital clues like fake hair and earbuds. He called it a "very serious error". Rao said the condition of Balaji's apartment was “more likely seen in homicidal death scenes and rarely observed in alleged suicidal cases".

In a more shocking revelation, Balaji's mother claimed that a private autopsy she paid for showed he was shot from above. 

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The parents claimed Balaji was attacked from behind when he was listening to the music while brushing his teeth. They claimed his head was smashed into a wall or a cabinet. 

(With inputs from agencies)