A man suspected of killing longtime American Idol supervisor Robin Kaye and her musician husband, Thomas Deluca, has been charged with murder.
On Thursday, Raymond Boodarian, a 22-year-old Encino resident, was charged with two counts of murder with enhancements for killing the couple while committing a robbery, intentionally using a firearm, and committing mutliple murders. He also faces a burglary charge.
During a court hearing Thursday, Boodarian was ordered to stay in jail as he awaits his Aug. 20 arraignment, according to the Los Angeles Times. If convicted, he could face life without parole or the death penalty, depending on the prosecutors’ approach.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced Tuesday, a day after the July 14 killings in Kaye and Deluca’s Encino home, that they had arrested Boodarian in connection with the homicides.
In a press release shared Tuesday, LAPD confirmed that Kaye and Deluca, both 70, were found dead at their home Monday afternoon following a welfare check call. Homicide investigators interviewed friends and family, reviewed surveillance video, “recovered evidence” from the scene, and found that the couple died following “multiple gunshot wounds.”
“While there were no signs of forced entry or trouble at the location during that investigation, it is now believed that the suspect had gained entry into the residence through an unlocked door,” the release read. “The victims returned home while the suspect was inside their residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives.”
The LA Times reports that LAPD received a call at 4 p.m. the day of the killing after a caller described a person climbing a fence. Officers went to the home, saw nothing out of place, and flew a helicopter over — but the couple had already been killed. Booderian left the scene of the crime about half an hour after allegedly committing the crime, according to police.
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Hours into the investigation, the LAPD announced it had “worked diligently through the night and identified” Boodarian as the suspect. A joint task force, including Operations-Valley Bureau Homicide, the LAPD Gang and Narcotics Division, the FBI Fugitive Task Force, and West Valley Division officers, detained Boodarian without incident.
“We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom’s, passing,” a spokesperson for American Idol told Rolling Stone following news of Kaye’s death. “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
This story was updated on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. ET to include Boodarian’s charges.
From Rolling Stone US
