The explanations will never fully answer the questions, or help the situation make sense, or heal the pain For the family of Kiran V. Kadian, her violent death, allegedly at the hands of her youngest child, there may not be a sense of closure to bring them peace.
Last Thursday, Fairfax County police received a phone call around 4:20 p.m. to the home of Rajesh and Kiran Kadian on Thompson Ridge Court in Great Falls. Rajesh Kadian had returned from a meeting that had been scheduled for himself, his wife and their son with a psychiatrist to discuss getting their son, Jayant, 20, some help for his depression. When neither Kiran nor Jayant answered their cell phones, Kadian went home to discover his son missing and his wife stabbed repeatedly in the upper torso, dead in their home.
When Fairfax County police first called the US Marshals after the body was discovered, the Marshals were in the middle of tracking down a member of MS-13, a violent gang that has become a strong presence in the area recently.
“I called them back at 6 a.m. on Friday to tell them we were ready to help,” said Kevin Connolly, supervisor of the US Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, which works in conjunction with state, regional and federal law enforcement agencies on large cases.
After calling Harrisonburg police, Connolly said they went out to James Madison University, where Jayant Kadian had been a student.
“We knew he was in the area,” Connolly said. “Harrisonburg police had searched several garages and they found him asleep in his car on the top floor of the fourth or fifth garage they checked.”
When they found Kadian, “he had what appeared to be blood on his clothes,” Connolly said. Kadian was woken up, taken out of his car and restrained by Harrisonburg police until Fairfax County officers arrived to interview, and later arrest, him and take him back to Fairfax County to be arraigned.
“He didn’t resist arrest or anything, we literally woke him up and pulled him out of his car,” he said. “We didn’t ask any questions, so I don’t know if he made any statement to our folks.”
“Jayant Kadian was arrested and charged with murder based on what investigators found and information at the scene,” said Fairfax County Police information officer Mary Mulrenan Friday afternoon. There were no other persons on interest named in the case, she said.
“We are unable at this time to reveal what investigators found and the investigation is still ongoing,” she said. “We can say that she was found with multiple stab wounds to the upper torso. We don’t know how long she’d been dead when her husband found her.”
Officer Bud Walker said that of the 18 homicides in the past two years, none have occurred in Great Falls, making this case even more horrific.
“I thought Great Falls was safe, but this gives you a different look at it,” said Laura Siljander, a barrista at Gilette’s coffee shop in Great Falls. “I’ve lived here all my life and nothing like this has ever happened.”
Other customers at Gilette’s said they did not feel any different about their quiet community, since it appeared to be an isolated, family-related event.
Jeff and Sharon Rainey’s son attended Langley High School with Jayant Kadian, although Jeff Rainey said he doesn’t remember hearing much about him.
“We don’t know the family but they’ve been here for 14 years,” Sharon Rainey said. “This just goes to show that every family has problems, you can’t escape everything.”
A receptionist at Langley High School said the principal, Bill Clendaniel, did not have a statement prepared Tuesday morning.
Friday afternoon, no one appeared to be at the family’s home on Thompson Ridge Court. A simple, lone plant was sitting on the doorstep of the serene-looking brick house against the silver-faced door, sent over to let Rajesh Kadian know the community is keeping him in its thoughts and prayers.
The family was well known in the area; Rajesh Kadian is a gastroenterologist and has published many books on Indian politics and military strategy.
Funeral services were held Sunday at the Arlington Funeral Home and no further obituary information was available.
A younger brother of Rajesh Kadian said Monday afternoon that the family is not making comments on the case at this time.
A search warrant was issued Friday evening, which led to the removal of four suspected blood swabs, two knives, four court papers in Jayant Kadian’s name, two handwritten notes and a white hand towel, among other items, according to police records. The search warrant was issued to Robert A. Bond, a Fairfax County detective. The affidavit requesting the search warrant also states that Kiran’s body was found on the kitchen floor and the home security system had been activated, with no signs of forced entry into the home at all.
Jim Dedes, director of court services at the juvenile and domestic relations district court in Fairfax City said Jayant Kadian has been arraigned Monday morning and is being held without bail at the Adult Detention Center by Judge Charles Maxfield. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Monday, May 2 at 1:30 p.m. Attorney Peter Greenspan has been hired as Kadian’s legal representation.
Kiran Kadian is survived by her husband, son and two adult daughters, along with her parents and siblings.
Updated: This story has been changed to remove the names of surviving family members.