Duke University Student Homicide Victim Had Parkway Ties

Abhijit at Parkway entrance sign ...
Have you noticed how news becomes more impactful the closer it is to home, or if the event or person is known to you or known by someone you know?
Such was my experience last week when I received a call from a former Parkway staff member who started off by saying “have you seen the photo of the Duke University student (Abhijit Mahato) that was killed? …this guy actually visited the Parkway.”

Abhijit Camping Along the Blue Ridge Parkway
And with a little bit of searching, there it was … the most authority rendering photograph of a young man standing in front of a Blue Ridge Parkway entrance sign. The question still lingers as to what kind of visitor or Parkway champion he might have become. Interesting in the composite of photos available, he is also seen cooking a 2-egg breakfast over a gas stove at a campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and . We know of at least three perfect places he visited.

Abhitjit standing on the pedestrian bridge at the Nantahala Outdoor Center
Such a tragedy …
If you wish to know more about this promising young man, visit news coverage here ….

















