Ravi Pansuriya : Westminster Man Gets Life for Father's Murder

1. Westminster man convicted for life without parole in father’s murder case
2. Westminster man sentenced to life in prison for killing father.

Accident – Death – Obituary News : In a recent court hearing on the 14th of May, Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Maria L. Oesterreicher delivered a verdict that sentenced 31-year-old Westminster resident Ravi Maganbhai Pansuriya to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for the brutal murder of his father, Dr. Maganbhai Pansuriya, aged 59, also a resident of Westminster.

The sentencing came after Ravi Pansuriya was found guilty of first-degree murder in Carroll County Circuit Court following a five-day jury trial that concluded on November 17, 2023. Deputy State’s Attorney Melissa Hockensmith, who prosecuted the case, pushed for a life sentence without parole, describing the crime as particularly heinous. During the sentencing, Ravi Pansuriya chose not to address the Court.

The tragic events unfolded on October 2, 2022, when a passerby on Medford Road outside of New Windsor discovered a dismembered body, later identified as Dr. Maganbhai Pansuriya. Three days later, Carroll County Sheriff’s detectives recovered the head and hands of the victim in Morgan Run off of Old Washington Rd.

The investigation revealed that Dr. Pansuriya’s wife reported him missing after returning home from work to find traces of blood in the garage and house, along with signs of a struggle in the bathroom. Shortly after her discovery, their son Ravi arrived home driving the family truck. Investigators uncovered evidence of blood and human tissue in the truck bed and on various tools in the garage, including hedge trimmers, branch cutters, an axe, a pickaxe, a baseball bat, and a rake. Additionally, several knives were seized, and DNA evidence linking Dr. Pansuriya to Ravi was found on the Defendant’s pants. Surveillance footage showed Ravi purchasing a wooden-handled axe on the morning of the incident.

The body of Dr. Pansuriya was partially wrapped in linens and a rug from the family home, duct-taped and with Ravi Pansuriya’s fingerprint found on the adhesive side of the tape. Dr. Stephanie Dean, the Interim Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland, testified that the victim sustained 45 stab wounds, 9 cutting wounds, and blunt force injuries to the head, leading to his death.

Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker expressed his thoughts on the sentencing, emphasizing the rare occurrence of such a brutal murder, especially committed by a son against his father. He hoped that the sentence would provide some comfort to the family and friends of Dr. Pansuriya during this traumatic period.

The prosecution was led by Deputy State’s Attorney Melissa Hockensmith and Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Camuti, with Detective Devin Herold of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office handling the investigation.

For more information, you can access the original press release regarding the sentencing of Ravi Pansuriya. Stay updated with the Carroll County Observer on various social media platforms.