On the night of January 3rd, 2008, 21-year-old Parth Engle settled in for a quiet evening at his apartment in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. He had just poured himself a beer and was about to watch TV with his girlfriend when an unexpected knock at the door disrupted their plans. Parth wasn’t expecting any visitors, and his girlfriend shrugged when he asked if she was. Curious and slightly apprehensive, he went to answer the door.
A Surprise Visitor
To Parth’s astonishment, his mother stood at the doorstep, visibly upset and carrying a small duffel bag. She lived an hour and a half away in Middletown Township, and while it wasn’t unusual for her to visit, showing up unannounced was out of character. Her smudged eyeliner and puffy face indicated she’d been crying, but when Parth inquired about her distress, she only said she needed to stay the night and retreated to the guest bedroom, leaving Parth and his girlfriend bewildered.
A Sleepless Night
Three hours later, at 11 p.m., Parth lay in bed, unable to sleep. The guest bedroom, where his mother was staying, was right next to his, and he could hear her pacing and crying. His anxiety grew as he wondered what could have caused her such distress. Parth’s thoughts drifted to his father, Arun Kamar, and their complicated family history.
Parth’s parents had immigrated from India and worked hard to build a comfortable life in America. Arun worked as an engineer at Boeing, and Parth’s mother owned a 7-Eleven franchise. Despite their apparent success and the façade of a happy family, their relationship had been strained since Arun’s affair a few years earlier. Though Parth’s mother had forgiven him to keep the family together, she never truly trusted him again. She even enlisted Parth’s help to spy on Arun by installing monitoring software on his computer.
A Mother’s Secret
As Parth lay in bed, he heard his mother talking on the phone. Driven by curiosity and concern, he quietly listened through the wall. What he heard was far worse than he could have imagined. His mother revealed that Arun had taken out $3.6 million in life insurance policies on her, Parth, and his sister. She feared he planned to kill them for the payout. This revelation shook Parth to his core. He had always seen his father as a flawed but fundamentally good man, not a potential murderer.
Uncovering the Truth
Desperate for answers, Parth logged into the monitoring software on his father’s computer. To his horror, he found not only the insurance policies but also fraudulent passport applications. Arun seemed to be preparing to flee the country after committing the unthinkable.
Parth and his mother spent the next several days in a state of constant fear, monitoring Arun’s activities. The police were of little help, as nothing Arun had done was explicitly illegal. They were left with no choice but to wait for more incriminating evidence.
A Suspicious Email
On January 20th, 2008, Parth discovered an email from Arun to another woman, expressing love and mentioning a big contract that would bring in a lot of money. This, combined with a message about Arun’s father’s death and his intention to attend the funeral alone, convinced Parth that they were running out of time. He and his mother made a plan: Parth would confront his father while his mother stayed at his apartment.
The Confrontation
That evening, Parth drove to his parents’ house, adrenaline coursing through him. He felt confident, knowing he had the element of surprise and was physically stronger than his father. When Arun answered the door, Parth confronted him, accusing him of plotting to kill the family. Arun fled to the master bedroom, and Parth followed, fearing his father might be arming himself.
In the bedroom, Arun was staring at a heavy metal pipe wrench, one of the tools left over from an unfinished sink repair. Parth realized his father was considering using it as a weapon.
A Horrifying Discovery
The next morning, Parth’s mother returned to the house and found a gruesome scene: blood everywhere and a mutilated body she couldn’t identify. She immediately called 911.
The Aftermath
It took police almost four years to unravel Arun’s web of lies. They discovered he had indeed taken out life insurance policies and was involved in a shady deal in India. However, the target of his plot was not his family but himself. Arun planned to fake his death to trigger the insurance payouts and then disappear with his mistress. He intended to leave his wife and children the insurance money, thinking he was doing something noble in a twisted way.
Conclusion
The Engle family’s story is a harrowing reminder of how deception and betrayal can tear a family apart. Arun’s actions, driven by desperation and deceit, led to a tragic and bloody confrontation. While the truth eventually came to light, the scars left on Parth and his mother would remain forever.