Warrants, interviews, but no arrests in killings of Aldie mother, son

LEESBURG, Va. — Two weeks after a quiet Loudoun County, Virginia, neighborhood was rocked by the deaths of a mother and her grown son, investigators believe they are making progress in determining who killed Mala and Rishi Manwani, and why.

Loudoun County sheriff’s deputies discovered the pair, each shot several times, inside their Aldie home in the 25000 block of Tomey Court on Jan. 31. The deputies were checking on Mala’s welfare after coworkers reported she hadn’t been to the office.

Sources tell WTOP that search warrants have been served in several jurisdictions, but warrants in Loudoun County have apparently been sealed.

Detectives have conducted more than 40 interviews, and leads have taken them to West Virginia.

The day after the bodies were discovered, Sheriff Mike Chapman said it appeared the two were targeted because of potentially criminal activity occurring inside the home.

While detectives are not specifying the activity, sources said they now have a better idea of what was going on inside the home than when Chapman made his initial announcement.

Investigators continue to try narrowing the timeline between Mala’s last email to her co-workers on Monday, Jan. 29, and when their bodies were found.

Detectives have not revealed whether they have uncovered communications between Rishi Manwani and others.

From the start, investigators have said there was no evidence of forced entry into the home.

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.

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