In a gruesome and tragic story that has shocked Hollywood and the surrounding local community of Encino, American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye, aged 70, and her musician husband, Thomas Deluca, were discovered dead inside their LA home worth 4.5 million after having been shot by an alleged burglar using their firearm, a 22-year-old story.
The horrifying realization was made when worried friends requested a welfare check on Sunday, July 14, because they had not heard anything about the couple in several days.
Policemen of the Los Angeles Police Department came to the gated property on White Oak Avenue and discovered a horrifying scenario: both Kaye and Deluca had been shot in the head and placed in different rooms of the house.
The authorities report that Deluca was in the bathroom, and Kaye was in the pantry.
There were blood trails that directed the investigators through the broken sliding glass when they entered the house through the rear end, indicating that a violent confrontation has taken place.
In the latest development, police indicate the suspect, Raymond Boodarian, a 22-year-old man living locally did so with his own gun the couple was actually giving him as he himself called 911.
A Murder that shook the Community
At a community town hall meeting in Encino, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said on July 21 that the suspect found the gun belonging to the couple in the home after breaking in.
The victims are said to have walked in as the intruder was already inside, at which point he engaged in a confrontation, which turned fatal.
Hochman said that the suspect had also phoned the police himself following the killings and told them his full name, according to the first report by ABC7 Los Angeles. The call later resulted in his arrest.
The next day after the discovery of the bodies, Boodarian was arrested. He is facing two counts of murder and one of the counts of the burglary into a residential home during which a person was present.
Special circumstance allegations include murdering multiple people and murdering during a burglary, coupled with numerous firearm counts, have been added to the case by prosecutors.
Were Warning Signs Overlooked?
Officers of the Los Angeles Police Department had been called to the same house on a report of a possible burglary just four days prior to the discovery of the bodies.
But at that moment there was no evidence of forced entry and the officers drove away.
Reflectively, it is even possible that Kaye and Deluca were already dead or on their deathbed at that previous visit and many wonder, what more could have been done.
At the town hall meeting, residents complained of an increasing rate of crime in the area.
LAPD Deputy Chief Marla Ciuffetelli said, “We are experiencing a decline in crime in general, but a tragedy like this, in which two well-loved individuals are killed in their own home, overshadows all those numbers.”
Music Career, a Great Life in Harmony
The contributions made by Robin Kaye in the music and television world were enormous.
She also worked as the music supervisor of American Idol between 2002 and 2023, contributing to the music of one of the most well-known television shows.
Other projects that were in her resume were Lip Sync Battle, The Singing Bee and also major pageants such as Miss USA and Miss Universe.
Her husband, Thomas Deluca, was also a very respected person in the industry, who tended to cooperate with his wife behind the curtains.
They were a secretive and yet intimate couple that lived together and had a strong affection to music, innovation and the family.
As friends put it, they were very warm, authentic, and always generous with their time.
Her former workmates have dominated the social media with tributes describing her as a trailblazer, a mentor and a beautiful soul who died too soon.
No Proven Linkage with the Suspect
Police have indicated so far the victims and the suspect have no known relationship.
The motive is unknown, but what investigators think is that it could have been a random act of burglary that went horribly wrong.
The investigation is still ongoing since Boodarian is still in custody.
On conviction, he might be sentenced to life imprisonment without the hope of parole or even the death penalty depending on the way in which the prosecutors are going to pursue the special circumstances.
Mourning in a Village
With the loss that the Encino neighborhood is struggling with, many people are left wondering how this violent tragedy could occur in a serene, wealthy community.
To others who were intimate with Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca, the tragedy is beyond measure.
One friend said, “They were the type of people who left the world better than they found it. To know their lives were ended so inhumanely and stupidly, it is devastating.”
A memorial service will be conducted later in this month with friends, family, and fans of the couple converging to celebrate their lives and mourn the sudden and tragic loss.
