ACTON, Mass. (Court TV) — Prosecutors say a teenager charged with murdering his mother and younger brother made disturbing online searches with the help of AI about killing his family.
Arjun Aravind appears in court on Aug. 13, 2026. (Court TV)
Arjun Aravind, 17, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of murder, assault and battery, and assault and battery with a deadly weapon. The teen, wearing a white T-shirt, stood silently during the hearing as he looked around the room.
Prosecutors said that Aravind’s father called the Acton Police Department on Aug. 11 when a tutor who came to the house reported that they were unable to get inside. When Aravind’s father couldn’t reach anyone despite multiple attempts, he asked the police to do a well-being check at his home.
Officers who arrived at the house said the interior garage door was open. When they went inside, they found Aravind’s 14-year-old brother dead on the first floor. A search of the home revealed his mother was dead in the basement. In court on Thursday, prosecutors said officers at the scene saw “obvious signs of a visible and violent struggle” and saw that the victim’s car was missing.
While both victims suffered “obvious trauma,” prosecutors said, their cause of death is still pending autopsy by the medical examiner.
Aravind was taken into custody hours later after police found him inside his mother’s stolen vehicle, parked in nearby Wayland, Massachusetts.
At a news conference announcing Aravind’s arrest, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said the preliminary investigation into what happened revealed that the defendant had been demonstrating “concerning behavior” recently, including using the internet and ChatGPT “to make searches for theoretical ideas or fantasy stories regarding the killing of his family.”
Aravind’s attorney, Debra DeWitt, agreed to have the teen held without bond, but asked the judge to order a mental evaluation. When the judge asked whether the evaluation would be for his current competency or for criminal responsibility, DeWitt answered, “That’s to be determined, Your Honor.”
Prosecutors said that Aravind had been evaluated and cleared to come to court after receiving medical attention for injuries to his hand.
The judge scheduled Aravind’s probable cause hearing for Sept. 11. Aravind is facing additional charges relating to the stolen vehicle in juvenile court; those proceedings are closed to the public.
