Merrillville man accused of beating woman to death, sexually violating her body

Booking photo of Raju Rawal

by: Matt Christy

Posted: Mar 24, 2023 / 02:37 PM EDT

Updated: Mar 24, 2023 / 02:43 PM EDT

WINFIELD, Ind. — A 65-year-old man from Merrillville is accused of beating a Winfield woman to death with a rubber mallet and performing sexual acts on her after her death.

Raju Rawal was taken into custody on Monday by the Winfield Police Department and is charged with murder.

According to court documents, Rawal worked at a Marathon gas station in Winfield and had a known relationship with the deceased — identified as 36-year-old Haley Losinski.

Police said Losinski's body was found by her mother on Feb. 27 at her home on Pike Place in Winfield. Court documents reveal Losinkski was found kneeling over a bed with her pants pulled down to her ankles. Blood stained the bed and a rubber mallet was later found hidden beneath a pillow under the bed near where Losinski had been kneeling.

An autopsy determined that Losinski had been beaten to death, with doctors suspecting the mallet as the murder weapon along with the possible use of bare hands. The coroner determined Losinski had most likely been killed on or about Feb. 23 and that sexual activity had occurred after Losinski's death.

Court documents detail that police identified Rawal as a suspect due to security footage obtained from a neighbor's Nest home camera. A white Toyota Rav 4 could be spotted visisting Losinski's home on several occasions including a final visitation on Feb. 23 at 3:33 a.m.

No other person is seen visiting the home after Feb. 23.

Police said during this last trip, the Toyota drove away from the home suspiciously with all its exterior lights turned off. In every instance of the Toyota arriving at Losinski's home, a man with a "distinct walk" could be seen exiting the vehicle.

After learning of Losinski's relationship with Rawal, police brought the man in to be questioned. He reportedly arrived at the police station in a white Toyota Rav 4. Police also noted his similar build and "distinct walk" as matching the man viewed in the Nest footage.

Police reported interviewing Rawal on two separate occasions and claimed he originally lied about being at Losinski's home on Feb. 23 until confronted with the security footage. Police stated at one point during an interview Rawal also allegedly expressed jealousy due to believing Losinski may have been seeing other men.

Witnesses whom investigators spoke to reportedly described Rawal as being "nervous and withdrawn" in the days after Losinski's murder.

Police also accused Rawal of deleting cell phone records and suddenly breaking off contact with Losinski during the timeframe of her death and before her death became public.

Court documents detail that police spoke to Rawal for a third time on March 20, but Rawal declined to give a statement without an attorney. An officer reported noticing a red substance on his shoes that looked like smeared blood that someone tried to clean off.

Rawal was taken into custody. He is being held in Lake County Jail without bond.

If convicted, Rawal can face between 45 and 65 years in prison.

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