Witnesses paint a portrait of Dewey murder suspect

The search for a man wanted in the murder of a woman in a Dewey Beach motel room ended June 19, when the suspect was found dead of an apparent drug overdose.

Pawan Kumar, 26, of Wilmington was discovered by local police in a room at Belleville Motor Lodge, in Belleville, N.J., more than 100 miles from where a cab driver says he left Kumar June 18.

Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County, N.J. Prosecutor's Office, said the cause of death is not official, but it appears Kumar committed suicide.  She said the cause of death appears to be a drug overdose.

Kumar was a suspect in the murder of Danielle Mehlman of Bensalem, Pa., whose body was found June 18 in the Atlantic Oceanside Motel in Dewey Beach.

Mehlman's body was discovered by housekeepers in a room on the first floor the motel. Master Cpl. Gary Fournier said the state Medical Examiner determined the cause of her death was multiple stab wounds.

State police announced June 19 they had obtained an arrest warrant for Kumar, whose photo was then circulated in news reports as a suspect in Mehlman’s death.

Police said Mehlman, 26, and Kumar checked into the hotel, June 17.

Police have not released details of the events leading up to the murder, but a witness who saw Kumar say he was flush with cash and anxious to get out of town.

Jim Allen, owner of Beach Ride Taxi, said Kumar called the company dispatcher and said, "Money is not a problem, but I need to get out of this town immediately."

Allen said he picked Kumar up at the Old Inlet Bait and Tackle early on June 18.  Allen said Kumar first told him he wanted a ride to the train station in Wilmington; then, he asked Allen to take him to his parents' house at 3120 Naaman's Road in Wilmington, where the trip ended.

Allen said he asked Kumar to prove he had the money to pay for the ride, and Kumar showed him a handful of bills.  "I bet he had $700 or $800 on him," he said.

Allen said Kumar, who did not give his name during the ride, looked disheveled and lethargic.  Allen said he carried two shopping bags with clothes in them, and two bottles of Diet Coke.  "He looked depressed to be honest," Allen said.

Allen said Kumar told him his friends left him in Dewey Beach.  "He kept asking, 'How long before we get there?' Every two minutes," Allen said.

"He said he's only been here a week, and he was here visiting his family," Allen said.  Kumar said his sister was studying law at Widener University, and his parents owned two businesses in Wilmington, Allen said.  He said he was planning to go back home to India, Sunday, July 1.

During the ride, Allen said, he told Kumar he saw him get thrown out of the Starboard by security guards at 10:30 p.m., June 17.  "They had to literally force him off the premises," Allen said.

After Allen told Kumar he had seen him the night before, Allen said, he seemed surprised and became very quiet.

Allen said he was later interviewed by state police, who searched his car for fingerprints and looked through it with a black light.  "I think they were looking for blood," Allen said.

An employee at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle, on Route 1 about four miles south of Atlantic Oceanside Motel, said an Indian man walked into the shop between 7 and 9 a.m. Monday morning.

The man, who looked to be about 30, said he had borrowed his parents' car, but it broke down.  The employee, who asked not to be identified, said another customer came in and said they had not seen any cars broken down on the road.

The employee said the man asked for phone numbers to cab companies; then, he said his parents were going to pick him up.  He had a white shopping bag with him, the employee said.

The man bought a hat and some tackle and paid in cash, the employee said.  He said the man had a lot of cash on him.  "That caught my eye," he said.

The employee said someone eventually picked up the man.

Mike Mann, a resident of Dewey Beach, said he recognized Kumar from a surveillance photo published in news reports.  Mann said he and his fiancée, Tiffany Reynolds, stood next to Kumar and a blonde woman for about two hours during a June 17 autism benefit at the Starboard.  "We know that was the guy we were standing next to," Mann said.

Mann said the blonde woman was on the dance floor texting people.  "She seemed like she was with this guy, but she didn't look like she was happy about it," Mann said.  "He seemed like he was kind of harassing the girl."

Reynolds said Kumar was staring at the woman, who she said looked about 30 years old.  “She was ignoring him,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds said she and Mann chatted with briefly with the woman, who told them she was at the Starboard for the autism benefit.  “She just seemed so friendly and outgoing,” Reynolds said.

Mann said he called the police before Kumar's name was released.

Starboard owner Steve Montgomery said police came to several businesses in town to collect surveillance footage.  In an email, Montgomery said, “I can confirm that the couple did spend a short period of time here Sunday night and that our staff asked Kumar to leave as he was bothering another male customer.  He left peacefully on his own once asked; it was in the neighborhood of 10:30 to 11 p.m.”