American Idol Producer Robin Kaye and Husband Thomas Deluca Killed in Home Invasion 

ENCINO, LOS ANGELES — Tragedy struck this week when Robin Kaye, a long‑time music supervisor for American Idol, and her husband, songwriter Thomas Deluca, both 70, were found fatally shot in their home during a welfare check on 15 July.

LAPD investigators say a 22‑year‑old suspect, Raymond Boodarian, was arrested on July 16 in connection with the double homicide. Evidence indicates that Boodarian scaled the property fence on 10 July , while the couple was away, entered through an unlocked door, and remained inside, waiting for the couple to return.

Once Kaye and Deluca returned home, a violent confrontation ensued when the couple arrived home, resulting in both being shot in separate rooms. Boodarian fled on foot but was later identified through surveillance footage and arrested without incident. Authorities report that the house wasn’t ransacked, suggesting robbery was not the motive.

An American Idol spokesperson said:

The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to determine motive and whether Boodarian has any prior ties to the couple or others. 

This crime is reminiscent of other high-profile tragedies where celebrities were targeted in what should have been the safety of their own homes or private spaces. On 1 December 2021, philanthropist Jacqueline Avant, wife of music legend Clarence Avant, was fatally shot during a home invasion in Beverly Hills. On 30 October 2002, Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC was murdered in his Queens recording studio, a case that remained unsolved for nearly two decades. And in perhaps the most infamous case, actress Sharon Tate and four others were brutally killed by followers of Charles Manson in her Los Angeles home on 9 August 1969.

In the case of Kaye and Deluca, neighbors reported a previous suspicious incident on 10 July  when someone was spotted hopping the fence and potentially armed. Officers responded but did not find anyone. The couple had fortified their property following a break‑in scare three weeks earlier, installing cameras and fencing spikes .

Despite these precautions, the couple still fell victim to a fatal home invasion—making the tragedy even more chilling.