A 22-year-old Los Angeles man is facing murder and burglary charges for the killing of a longtime American Idol staffer and her husband while allegedly attempting to rob their home in an upscale Los Angeles neighborhood last week.
Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70, were found shot to death this week when police conducted a welfare check at the couple’s Encino property on Monday. Kaye is best known as the music supervisor on the long-running hit talent show American Idol, where she was responsible for clearing all songs used or performed on the show for the past 16 years.
Raymond Boodarian was charged with two counts of murder and a count of residential burglary earlier Thursday, according to Los Angeles ABC affiliate station KABC. He appeared before a judge this afternoon, who said that his next court hearing will be on Aug. 20. Boodarian is being held without bail. Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Guy Golan told reporters Tuesday that the young man is accused of hopping the fence surrounding the Encino property and then shooting and killing the couple during a struggle when they arrived home.
Police, who are still piecing together evidence to see if there was a possible motive for the double murder, said they believe that the couple was killed on July 10 and that the LAPD had received two calls about a possible robbery when a man was spotted scaling the 8-foot-tall spike fence of the couple’s tightly secured property. This high wall prohibited officers from entering the home on White Oak Avenue when first seeking to check on the couple; a helicopter fly-over did not reveal anything suspicious at the property, the department said earlier this week. It wasn’t until four days after the couple is believed to have been killed that their bodies were discovered.
“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,” authorities shared in a press release. “The victims returned home while the suspect was inside their residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives. The victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, and the suspect fled from the residence on foot.”
In a statement from American Idol that was shared with The Hollywood Reporter, representatives from the show said Kaye was 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.”
Kaye’s other music supervisor credits included work on Lip Sync Battle, After the Sunset, The Singing Bee and Q’Viva! The Chosen. She began her career on the record company and artist management side of the music industry, working for Waylon Jennings in Nashville, and then MTM Records in artist development. Kaye eventually joined the film and TV licensing department at MCA-Universal Records and then ran the music licensing division at PolyGram Records. In 2000, Kaye launched her own company, SyncroniCity, and represented artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Kenny Loggins, Lang Lang, Donny Osmond and Steven Bishop.