WASHINGTON, DC: Was the 27-year-old Lavanya Abburi, a doctoral student of molecular biology at Alabama A&M University (AAMU), from Andhra Pradesh, murdered? Abburi’s body was found last Wednesday, April 1, in a pond by her research station at AAMU, and the post-mortem results are yet to be out, reported AL.com. How she died is yet to be determined too. She came to India from the village of Peddareddy Palem, Narsaraopet, in Andhra Pradesh, where her parents still live. AAMU spokesman Jerome Saintjones said Abburi came to Huntsville after completing her master’s degree at West Virginia State University. “The entire Alabama A&M University family is grieved by the untimely death of Lavanya, who was diligently pursuing her dream,” said AAMU President Andrew Hugine, Jr., in a statement. “We offer counseling and other support to those who were touched by her presence and motivated by her determination. Moreover, we ask for prayers for her family.” The Madison County Sheriff’s Office reports that an autopsy was completed Thursday, but the preliminary results and cause of death are unclear pending further forensics testing. Madison County Coroner Bobby Berryhill said there were no indications of foul play when they found her. More testing must be completed before this is confirmed, the AL.com report said. Berryhill said Abburi’s body will be sent back to India following all forensics tests. Abburi’s fellows at Alabama A&M told AL.com they were all confused about how she could have been in that pond. Not only is it about 1,200 yards away from her workstation, but she was scared of water and always steered clear of the pond. Her A&M research supervisor, Rao Mentreddy, said she was even afraid to drive in the rain. He and fellow students all said her work was with plants and had nothing to do with the pond so there was never any reason to be near it in the first place. Confounding the investigation is the fact that the Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station Farm has no security cameras to review. There are no outdoor lights either. Though Abburi’s car was at the scene, her car keys and cell phone have not been found. Abburi’s sister noticed markings on her arms and neck, but it is unclear how this happened. Hughes confirmed she had some markings on her, but what they are cannot be confirmed until further forensics tests come back, reported AL.com. Abburi’s friends describe her as an overall happy and compassionate person who was also quiet and introverted. They all say she seemed cheerful in the weeks leading up to her death. Her West Virginia State University supervisor, Umesh Reddy, said Abburi has extremely happy in the months before her death because her research was published n the “Journal of Heredity.” This was her sixth co-authored peer-reviewed publication, which is far more than the average graduate student produces. Her professors all said this thrilled her. Another Alabama A&M professor, Sadguna Anasuri, said she always seemed cheerful. Anasuri was close with Abburi but was not her professor. They shared a fellowship through Madison County’s Indian community. WAAF reported that the Madison County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t ruled out whether the death of Abburi is a homicide or not. “We are trying to determine what she was doing at the research facility and what she was doing by the pond,” said Madison County Sheriff’s Investigator Jeremy Hughes. “We’re looking at everything,” said Hughes. “We’re looking at the possibility that there may be some criminal. We’re looking at the possibility that it may be an accident.”