Mother of OpenAI Whistleblower Challenges Suicide Ruling, Citing Evidence Gaps

Poornima Rao alleges her son Suchir Balaji's death was a murder, raising concerns about CCTV failures and toxicology inconsistencies.

Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November 2024, with authorities ruling his death a suicide by gunshot.
Poornima Rao, Balaji's mother, disputes the findings, alleging a murder conspiracy and citing inconsistencies in the investigation and autopsy report.
She highlighted unexplained failures of multiple CCTV cameras near Balaji's apartment and in his building's elevator on the day of his death.
Rao questioned the toxicology report, pointing out discrepancies in GHB levels and suggesting the presence of sedatives combined with alcohol could have incapacitated her son.
Balaji had recently raised ethical concerns about OpenAI's practices, and his mother claims key documents related to his whistleblowing were missing after his death.