Accused Sheridan Gorman killer faces new federal charges for weapon possession
Jose Medina-Medina, already facing charges for the murder of Loyola student Sheridan Gorman, is now dealing with additional federal charges for illegally possessing a weapon inside Cook County Jail. During court hearings, Gorman’s devastated family described Medina-Medina’s lack of emotion, highlighting the calculated nature of her murder and raising serious concerns about achieving justice for the victims involved.
In a separate case, a man accused of killing his teenage girlfriend in Arizona is alleged to have attempted a cover-up, planning to escape and disappear overseas.
According to federal law enforcement sources, Varun Batchigari, the accused, is a 20-year-old Indian national who entered the United States on January 8, 2024, via an F-1 student visa at Los Angeles International Airport.
Following the alleged murder, authorities report that Batchigari boarded a flight from Houston to India, stopping in Germany, where he was detained after the FBI alerted local officials.
Varun Batchigari faces charges of first-degree murder in the killing of 19-year-old Julissa Salazar. Federal law enforcement informed Fox News of Batchigari’s entry to the U.S. on an F-1 student visa. He was apprehended in Germany after allegedly attempting to flee to India. (CBP)
The FBI is now working to extradite him back to Arizona to face a first-degree murder charge.
Batchigari is charged with murdering his 19-year-old girlfriend, Julissa Salazar, who Tucson police say was strangled Thursday inside an off-campus apartment near the University of Arizona.
Investigators allege Batchigari stole Salazar’s cellphone and credit cards after the killing, then sent a series of text messages to her mother while posing as the victim in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime. The messages raised concern among Salazar’s family, prompting a welfare check that led officers to discover her body.
A felony warrant paints a picture of escalating violence, a deteriorating relationship and mounting personal troubles in the months leading up to Salazar’s death.
Tuscon Police vehicle (Tucscon Police)
According to the warrant, obtained by KOLD-TV, Batchigari had previously been involved in an assault case investigated by the University of Arizona Police Department.
Witnesses interviewed by investigators said Salazar moved out after experiencing problems with Batchigari in late 2025 and had planned to end the relationship because of an alleged history of domestic violence.
The warrant also includes allegations from multiple witnesses describing prior violent behavior. One witness told investigators Batchigari sexually assaulted her at a Halloween party but said she never reported the allegation to law enforcement.
Another witness told investigators Batchigari had been expelled from the University of Arizona following a fight and later lost his job, leading to financial problems and concerns about his student visa status and ability to pay rent.
U.S. border patrol agent Alessio Faccin walks along the border fence separating Mexico from the United States near Calexico, California, U.S. February 8, 2017. Picture taken February 8, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake – RC166A17F9D0 (Mike Blake/Reuters)
Federal records reviewed by Fox News show Batchigari remained in lawful immigration status at the time of the alleged murder despite his reported expulsion from the University of Arizona.
Because international students on F-1 visas are generally required to remain enrolled to maintain their legal status, it is unclear why his immigration status had not yet changed.
A Tucson Police Department spokesperson told News Media there were no updates beyond the information already released publicly. News Media also reached out to the University of Arizona to confirm Batchigari’s enrollment history and whether Salazar was a student, but did not immediately receive a response.