Satyavathi Venna
Saanvi Venna
DA seeks death penalty against alleged killer of Upper Merion 10-month-old
By JENNY DeHUFF
The Reporter
Prosecutors have decided to seek the death penalty against Upper Merion’s Raghunandan Yandamuri over an alleged kidnapping that left two dead in October.
District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman filed the paperwork Tuesday morning before Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill in the murders of 10-month-old Saanvi Venna and her grandmother, 61-year-old Satyavathi Venna.
According to the notice of intent, the Commonwealth is seeking the death penalty against Yandamuri in connection with the first- and second-degree murders with which he is charged. Prosecutors allege Yandamuri went to the victims’ house with the intention of kidnapping the little girl and holding her for ransom. He told investigators he panicked after the grandmother opened the door Oct. 22 and a struggle ensued.
“We only seek the death penalty in limited cases, reserving it for the worst of the worst,” said First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele.
“In this case, we carefully evaluated the evidence before deciding to file the notice of our intention to seek the death penalty. In the two murders of Saanvi and Satyavathi, there is evidence of a number of aggravating factors including murder, while the victim was being held for ransom, killing in perpetration of a felony, multiple murders, murder of a child under (age) 12 and murder of a witness.”
Yandamuri, 26, was arrested and charged on Oct. 26, 2012 and appeared for a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Justice James Gallagher in Bridgeport. During that hearing, a 23-minute videotaped confession was played in court, showing Yandamuri reenacting the events of that day, wherein he claims he accidentally slit Satyavathi Venna’s throat with a butcher knife.
“I know this is not a small mistake. I had a good job, a good life. I really feel sorry for what I did,” Yandamuri can be heard saying on the tape. He reportedly knew the victims’ family as neighbors in the Marquis Apartments on West Dekalb Pike in King of Prussia. Like him, the mother and father of Saanvi were young technology professionals from India.
http://www.thereporteronline.com/art...n-10-month-old
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