Minnesota victim in UCLA murder-suicide was shooter’s estranged wife
LOS ANGELES (KUSI) — The woman listed on Mainak Sarkar’s "kill list" that was found dead in her Minnesota residency has been identified as 31-year-old Ashley Hasti, his estranged wife. Sarkar and Hasti were married in June of 2011 before separating, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Authorities discovered a letter near the bodies of Sarkar and William Klug, the UCLA professor Sarkar murdered, that instructed readers to check on his cat. This led police to his home in Minnesota, where the "kill list" was located. A third name was on the list, but the person has been discovered by police and was not harmed. The identity of the third person has not been released.
Related Link: UCLA murder-suicide victim, gunman identified
Police are searching for the vehicle Sarkar used to drive from Minnesota to California to carry out the murder of Klug. It is believed he made the trip in a 2003 gray Nissan Sentra with the Minnesota license plate 720KTW. Authorities are asking anyone who identifies the car to call the police and not to approach it, though Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck does not believe it presents any danger.
UCLA is holding a candlelit vigil at 4 p.m. Friday at the Court of Sciences in remembrance of Klug. Another vigil was held Thursday night on campus, bringing out a crowd of over 1000 people that included L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Related Link: Woman on UCLA shooter’s ‘kill list’ found dead in Minnesota
"Stay open to the world," Garcetti told the crowd Thursday. "Don’t cower. Don’t be afraid. We can’t predict when moments happen like this, but we can determine how we respond to them. You responded beautifully and strongly yesterday. Continue that strength."
Sarkar alleged that Klug had stolen coding he had worked on and given it to another student, calling Klug a "very sick person" in a blog post written on Mar. 10. An unnamed source spoke to the Los Angeles Times and asserted that Sarkar’s claims were fabrications, noting Klug had "bent over backwards" to help Sarkar complete his dissertation. Sarkar graduated from UCLA in 2013 but was a member of Klug Research Group; Computational Biomechanics, at UCLA.
LAPD Chief Beck released more information on the UCLA shooting, saying Sarkar was heavily armed. Sarkar was carrying two semiautomatic pistols. He was also carrying ammunition magazines and loose rounds of ammunition. The guns were legally purchased in Minnesota, according to the LAPD.
