NEED TO KNOW
- American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her musician husband Thomas Deluca were allegedly killed with their own gun before the murder suspect called the police
- Kaye and Deluca, both 70, were found dead with gunshot wounds inside their $4.5 million Encino, Calif. home on July 14
- The victims were believed to have been fatally shot four days prior
The suspect accused of killing American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her musician husband Thomas Deluca allegedly fatally shot the couple with their own gun, according to reports.
Kaye and Deluca, both 70, were found dead with gunshot wounds inside their $4.5-million Encino, Calif. home on July 14.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) responded to a burglary call at the property four days prior, according to a felony complaint filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles, which was examined by PEOPLE. After finding no signs of forced entry, they left. It’s thought that the couple were already dead, or possibly dying, that same day.
During a town hall meeting at the Encino Community Center on Monday, July 21, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said that the man accused of the killings reportedly shot the victims with their own gun before calling the police himself, ABC7 Los Angeles reported. The suspect is thought to have found the weapon inside after breaking in, CBS News noted.
The day after the victims were discovered deceased, the LAPD confirmed to PEOPLE that Raymond Boodarian, 22, a resident of Encino, had been arrested in connection with the killings. According to authorities, the couple is believed to have walked in on the suspect inside their home, where a confrontation turned deadly.
He was charged two days later on Thursday, July 17 with two counts of murder and one count of residential burglary with a person. The murder charges include the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a burglary, as well as firearm allegations.
On Monday, Hochman told town hall meeting attendees that the suspect used his cellphone to call police after the killings, providing his name, ABC7 Los Angeles reported, noting that this ultimately resulted in him being tracked down.
As residents voiced their concern about crime in the area during the meeting, LAPD Deputy Chief Marla Ciuffetelli said, “We’re having phenomenal numbers on crime reduction. That being said, when two wonderful people end up dead in their own home, those crime statistics fall kind of flat,” per the outlet.
PEOPLE contacted Hochman, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles Police Department for updates on the investigation.
On July 14, Kaye and Deluca were found in separate rooms of their home with gunshot wounds to the head. According to police sources, officers arriving at the scene discovered a trail of blood leading to the front of the property and made entry through a shattered glass sliding door at the back of the house.
Deluca was found in the bathroom, while Kaye was located in the pantry. First responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced the couple dead at the scene.
Police previously said that the killings appeared to be random, and there was no known connection between the victims and the suspect.
The LAPD told PEOPLE that a welfare check was conducted on July 14 at approximately 2:30 p.m. local time at the couple’s home on the 4700 block of White Oak Avenue in Encino, after a concerned individual reported they hadn’t heard from the pair. That’s when authorities discovered the bodies.
“The victims returned home while the suspect had gained entry into the residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives,” authorities previously told PEOPLE. “The victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, and the suspect fled from the residence on foot.”
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Kaye’s impressive career spanned decades in both the music and television industries. Best known for her work on American Idol from 2002 to 2023, she also served as music supervisor on Lip Sync Battle, After the Sunset, The Singing Bee and Q’Viva!: The Chosen, in addition to multiple Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Deluca, a respected songwriter and musician, most recently released an album titled Street Rock in 2022.
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