Patricia Reyes, 50, Mehlman's mother, said police told her Kumar had died of a drug overdose and had left behind a three-page suicide letter.
"None of it makes sense to us," said Reyes, of Reading, where Mehlman grew up and where she will be buried.
Mehlman had a 4-year-old son, Tyler, and taught at a school in Philadelphia. She graduated from Reading High School and West Chester University and had been living in Bensalem for nearly two years, Reyes said.
Reyes last saw her daughter two weekends ago, when Mehlman visited her family in Reading. "She was happy," Reyes said.
Mehlman apparently began dating Kumar in the last few weeks, Reyes said. "I didn't even know his name until all this," she said.
Reyes said her daughter was a big Phillies fan and took her son to many games. She said she did not know whether her daughter had been to Dewey Beach before, but she knew that she loved the ocean.
Contact Robert Moran at 215-854-5983 or bmoran@phillynews.com, or follow @RobertMoran215 on Twitter. Inquirer staff writer Bill Reed contributed to this article.
