Music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, were identified as the victims of a double h0mıc1de in Los Angeles.
An American Idol music supervisor and her husband were fatally sh0t in their $4.5-million home in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Police Department told PEOPLE it conducted a welfare check at a home on White Oak Avenue in Encino on Monday, July 14 at around 2:30 p.m. Inside the residence, the couple, both 70 years old, had suffered multiple gunsh0t wounds. First responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived and pronounced them d3ad at the scene.
LAPD identified the d3ceased as Robin Kaye, a music supervisor for the iconic singing show, and musician Thomas Deluca. They were reportedly found in separate rooms in the home.
Raymond Boodarian, 22, a resident of Encino, has been arrested in connection with the ⱪı||ıngs, according to the LAPD. The couple is believed to have walked in on the suspect inside their home, where a confrontation turned d3adly.
Police say the ⱪı||ıngs appear to be random, and there is currently no known connection between the victims and the suspect.
Kaye, a music reality series veteran, worked in the music department as a producer at American Idol between 2002 and 2023. Her other music supervisor credits included work on Lip Sync Battle, After the Sunset, The Singing Bee and Q’Viva!: The Chosen. She also worked on several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
Just four days prior, on July 10, police responded to a possible burglary at the same address around 4:00 p.m. While there were no visible signs of forced entry at the time, investigators now believe the suspect entered through an unlocked door.
“The victims returned home while the suspect had gained entry into the residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives,” authorities said. “The victims succumbed to multiple gunsh0t wounds, and the suspect fled from the residence on foot.”
KTLA spoke to neighbors, who reportedly said that days before the bodies were found, there was an attempted break-in at the same home on July 10.
“My renter saw someone hopping the fence back on Thursday and she called 911,” a woman, Amee Faggen, told KTLA. “But we [haven’t] heard anything since then, so we have no idea if it’s even related or not.”
A spokesperson for American Idol tells PEOPLE they’re “devastated to hear of Robin and her d3ar 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,” the statement continued. “Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
The streets of Encino, California, are lined with palm trees and million-dollar homes, the kind of quiet suburban neighborhood where the world’s chaos feels a million miles away. But on Monday afternoon, that sense of safety was shattered forever when police discovered the bodies of Robin Kaye and her husband, Thomas Deluca, inside their $4.5 million home on White Oak Avenue. The couple, both 70, had been sh0t to d3ath in what authorities are calling a senseless and random double h0mıc1de—one that has left Hollywood, and their tight-knit community, reeling in disbelief.
For those who knew Robin Kaye, the news is almost impossible to process. For more than two decades, she was a behind-the-scenes force on some of America’s most beloved music and reality shows. As a music supervisor and producer for American Idol from its earliest days in 2002 until 2023, Robin helped shape the soundtracks of countless contestants’ dreams. Her credits read like a highlight reel of pop culture: Lip Sync Battle, After the Sunset, The Singing Bee, Q’Viva!: The Chosen, and even the glitzy Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. She was the kind of professional who worked quietly, tirelessly, always putting the music first and letting the stars shine. Colleagues say she was more than just a co-worker—she was a mentor, a friend, a steady hand in an industry known for its storms.
Her husband, Thomas Deluca, was a musician in his own right—a man whose love of music matched Robin’s, whose life was interwoven with hers in every possible way. Together, they built a life filled with harmony and creativity, a partnership that extended far beyond the walls of their Encino home. Friends describe them as inseparable, devoted to each other and to the world of music that brought them together. That such a couple could be taken so violently, so suddenly, is a loss that feels both deeply personal and profoundly unfair.
The horror unfolded on July 14, when the Los Angeles Police Department responded to a welfare check at the couple’s sprawling residence. It was just after 2:30 p.m. when officers arrived, and what they found inside was a nightmare: Robin and Tom, each in separate rooms, both d3ad from multiple gunsh0t wounds. The Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced them d3ad at the scene, the once-vibrant home now a crime scene marked by yellow tape and flashing lights.
Within hours, police had a suspect in custody: Raymond Boodarian, a 22-year-old Encino resident. According to LAPD, Boodarian had no known connection to the victims. The attack appears to have been random—a chilling reminder that violence can strike even in the most peaceful of neighborhoods, and that sometimes, there are no answers to the question of “why.”
Investigators now believe that the couple walked in on Boodarian as he was inside their home, possibly in the midst of a burglary. A confrontation ensued, and in a matter of moments, two lives were ended. The suspect fled on foot, leaving behind a scene of devastation and a community in shock.
The days leading up to the murd3rs offer a haunting glimpse of what might have been. Just four days earlier, on July 10, police had responded to a possible burglary at the same address. There were no visible signs of forced entry at the time, and the case seemed to fizzle out—just another false alarm in a city where break-ins are all too common. But now, investigators believe the suspect may have entered through an unlocked door, lying in wait for an opportunity. Neighbors recall seeing someone hopping the fence that day. “My renter saw someone hopping the fence back on Thursday and she called 911,” neighbor Amee Faggen told KTLA. “But we haven’t heard anything since then, so we have no idea if it’s even related or not.” Now, with the benefit of hindsight, those warnings seem all the more ominous.
For the families and friends of Robin and Tom, the grief is compounded by the senselessness of it all. There was no feud, no known connection to their alleged ⱪı||er—just the wrong place, the wrong time, and a random act of violence that has left a permanent scar. In a statement, a spokesperson for American Idol captured the heartbreak felt by so many: “We’re devastated to hear of Robin and her d3ar 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.”
In Encino, neighbors are struggling to make sense of what happened, their sense of security shattered. The home where Robin and Tom lived, once a symbol of success and stability, is now a grim reminder of how quickly everything can change. Some residents have begun checking their locks twice, installing new security cameras, and looking warily at strangers on their street. Others are gathering together, sharing memories of the couple and vowing not to let fear define their community.
But for those closest to Robin and Tom, the pain goes far deeper than any neighborhood anxiety. They remember Robin’s infectious laugh, her encyclopedic knowledge of music, the way she championed young talent and believed in second chances. They remember Tom’s gentle spirit, his quiet wisdom, his unwavering support for his wife and her career. Together, they were a team—one that inspired not just their colleagues, but everyone who knew them.
As the investigation continues, police are urging anyone with information to come forward. They’re piecing together the events of that tragic afternoon, searching for answers in a case where so much still remains unclear. Why did Raymond Boodarian target this home? Was it truly random, or was there something more? For now, those questions remain unanswered, lost in the swirl of grief and disbelief that has engulfed Encino and the wider entertainment community.
In the coming days, there will be tributes and memorials, stories shared on social media, and perhaps even a moment of silence on the next season of American Idol. But for those who loved Robin and Tom, no tribute can fill the void left by their absence. Their legacy will live on in the music they helped create, in the lives they touched, and in the memories that friends and family will carry with them always.
As the sun sets on White Oak Avenue, the palm trees cast long shadows across the quiet street. The world keeps turning, but for one corner of Los Angeles, nothing will ever be the same. The loss of Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca is a reminder of how fragile life can be, how quickly everything can change, and how, even in the midst of tragedy, the bonds of community and love endure.
In a city where fame and fortune are often fleeting, Robin and Tom built something real—a life filled with music, laughter, and love. That their story should end this way is a tragedy beyond words. But those who knew them best will remember not just how they d!ed, but how they lived: with passion, with kindness, and with a generosity of spirit that will never be forgotten.
