Suspect in murder of ‘American Idol’ couple had assault charges dismissed and was put in conservatorship a year ago
The man suspected of murdering American Idol executive Robin Kaye and her husband had battery charges against him dismissed – and was placed in a conservatorship just last year.
Raymond Boodarian, 22, was arrested Tuesday in connection with the killing of Kaye, a music supervisor on the beloved singing competition TV show, and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70.
Last year, three misdemeanor cases against Boodarian were dismissed, with court documents revealing that in the months prior, he was deemed mentally incompetent, Eyewitness News reported.
In December, a judge dismissed threat, weapons and battery charges against Boodarian following a mental health evaluation. He was then placed in a conservatorship, allowing another adult to be in charge of his major life decisions, according to NBC Los Angeles.
The mental health evaluation’s findings were not made public, but court records indicated that he was released from jail.
Boodarian’s criminal history doesn’t stop there. He faced charges of brandishing a knife and criminal threats against his stepfather in 2023, as well as battery against his mother and sister in 2024. All three misdemeanor cases were dismissed late last year.
The LA County District Attorney’s Office declined to say how Boodarian’s mental health evaluation may affect their ability to prosecute the new murder case.
His first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
Boodarian was taken into custody without incident on Tuesday, five days after Kaye and Deluca were shot to death inside their home in the Encino section of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Authorities confirmed Tuesday that Kaye and Deluca were shot to death on Thursday, July 10, around the same time that a neighbor called 911 to report seeing a man scaling the wall that surrounds their home.
“While there were no signs of forced entry or trouble at the location during the investigation, it is now believed that the suspect had gained entry into the residence through an unlocked door,” police said.
Kaye and Deluca had returned home on Thursday to find the suspect, which ultimately led to a deadly confrontation. Boodarian is believed to have fled the home on foot after the shooting.
The couple hadn’t been seen for several days when officers were called back to the home for a welfare check on Monday and found their bodies.
According to local reports, the couple was found in different rooms of their house; Deluca was found in a bathroom, while Kaye was found in the pantry.
The victims died from multiple gunshot wounds, authorities said.
A motive for the shooting was not immediately clear, and police are working to determine if Boodarian had any connection to Deluca and Kaye. Authorities do not believe he was connected to any local burglary rings and are treating the shooting as an isolated incident.
Boodarian was inside the couple’s home for 30 minutes before they returned, police said. He was identified by authorities through facial recognition technology.
The neighbor who had called 911 was a renter, and their landlord told ABC7 they didn’t hear anything else after calling the cops about the man scaling the fence.
“We didn’t see or hear anything. My renter called 911 on Thursday because she saw somebody hopping the fence,” Amee Faggen said. “And I have no idea if that was related or not. They came and left, the helicopters and police came.”
Kaye had worked as a music supervisor for American Idol from 2002 to 2023, according to her IMDb biography. She worked on nearly 300 episodes of the singing competition show.
She also won three Guild of Music Supervisors awards for her contributions to American Idol.
Prior to working on the beloved show, Kaye launched her own record company, SyncroniCity, in 2000. The company represented artists including Andrea Bocelli, Kenny Loggins, and Donny Osmond, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Deluca also had a career in music, working as a songwriter and musician. His album “Down To The Wire” was released by Epic Records in 1986, according to his website. His most recent effort, “Street Rock,” came out in 2022.
A spokesperson for American Idol said they were “devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom’s, passing.”
“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,” the statement continued.
The couple’s deaths are being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Bureau Homicide Division.
