American Idol Executive and Husband Were Dead for 4 Days — and Cops Only Went Inside After Second 911 Call By Danielle Bacher 18

Robin Kaye, the longtime music supervisor behind American Idol’s signature sound, and her husband, rocker Thomas Deluca, were murdered inside their $4.5-million Encino home in what investigators believe was a random home invasion. Both were 70. According to police, the couple was killed after returning home and encountering a burglary suspect, who is believed to have entered through an unlocked door.

PEOPLE can now confirm via a felony complaint filed in the Superior Court of Los Angeles that the killings occurred on July 10 — four days before police discovered the couple’s bodies and the same day police responded to reports of a burglary.

According to police sources, officers visited the Encino home around the time the suspect was believed to be inside. It remains unclear what time the couple died or whether they were still alive when authorities initially arrived to check out the home that day.

“A confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives,” LAPD confirmed.

Their bodies were discovered four days later, on July 14, after officers responded to a welfare check around 2:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of White Oak Avenue. Paramedics pronounced the pair dead at the scene.

Authorities claim they found a trail of blood leading to the front of the property and entered the home through a shattered glass sliding door at the back, as the front door was locked, according to police sources. Investigators believe the suspect locked the door after the shooting. Kaye was found in the pantry and Deluca in the bathroom, both with multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

The Los Angeles Medical Examiner told PEOPLE their time of death was recorded at 4:14 p.m.

The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Encino resident Raymond Boodarian, was arrested Tuesday, June 15, without incident. He was charged two days later on July 17, with two counts of murder, as well as one count of residential burglary with a person. The murder charges include the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a burglary, as well as firearm allegations.

Referring to the attack as “tragic,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman tells PEOPLE in a statement the news has shaken the Valley community. “In a matter of moments, this couple was senselessly killed in their own home as they returned from the grocery store,” he says. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends who are grieving this tremendous loss.”

Hochman’s office will decide later whether to seek the death penalty against Boodarian.

According to Los Angeles court records, Boodarian has a documented criminal history, including charges of battery, exhibiting a deadly weapon and threatening to commit a crime with the intent to terrorize. Those charges were later dismissed following court hearings related to mental competency and conservatorship.

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In a disturbing twist, a former police officer, veteran and private security guard claims Kaye had previously reached out seeking security after an increase in burglaries in the area. Kris Herzog, who owns The Bodyguard Group and operates with off-duty police in private defense, says he got the call earlier this year.

Herzog, who represents clients like Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift and Mark Zuckerberg, says during that call he warned Kaye that home cameras may not save her life.

“The most dangerous thing in your home is your home camera system or alarm because it gives you a false sense of security,” he recalls telling Kaye. “It’s never gonna save your life. The fact is, it’s gonna get you killed by giving you a false sense of security. And the only thing it’s gonna accomplish is record your death.”

He says he advised her to purchase bear spray or a pepper ball gun and hide them throughout the house. “She said OK thanks we’ll think about it and never called us back,” Herzog says. “This is the first time in my career that what I predicted potentially could happen 90,000 times… actually happened.”

Police sources close to the investigation allegedly told Herzog that the alarm system was off and the suspect simply walked in on July 10. “The door was left open. The alarm was turned off. And Boodarian walked right in,” he claims. “I told [Kaye] at the time,” Herzog says, pausing. “You have to be able to defend yourself if you only have a second notice.”

Herzog mentions the previous call to police about a potential break-in at the same house just days before the bodies were found. According to Herzog, “They respond to a burglary, burglar in the house, he’s jumped the wall. The witness, a renter from the neighbor, believes he went in the house. So they responded, circled the house, called out the airship. Airship circle said we see no signs of forced entry — and they f—g left. They’re out of there in 10.”

An officer claims that no one responded inside the home, while a police helicopter from overhead reported not seeing anything suspicious.

According to Herzog, the LAPD’s policy of not entering a property unless there’s overwhelming probable cause may have prevented officers from discovering the crime sooner.

“Hundreds of departments around the country have the opposite policy. You get a burglar-there-now call, you jump the wall, you make sure those residents are OK. You try to apprehend the burglar. LAPD does not have that policy. Unless they have a ridiculous amount of probable cause — bloody shoe print, O.J. Simpson heading into the house from the street — I mean a ridiculous amount,” he claims, exhaling then alleging:

“Their policies are 99% geared towards cover your a— and 1% toward public safety. They’re worried about getting sued and bad publicity. They are critically, dangerously underfunded. They don’t have the manpower.”

PEOPLE has reached out to the LAPD for comment on Herzog’s claims and they declined to comment citing the “ongoing investigation.”

Kaye worked on nearly 300 episodes of American Idol between 2009 and 2023. Her credits also include The Singing Bee, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the NAACP Image Awards and multiple Miss Universe specials. Thomas Deluca was best known for his 1986 album Down to the Wire. His most recent album, Street Rock, was released in 2022.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for American Idol said the team was “devastated” by the news and called Kaye “a cornerstone of the ‘Idol’ family.”

The statement continued: “Robin 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.”

Boodarian remains in custody at the Inmate Reception Center on Bauchet Street in Los Angeles and will likely be transferred in the following days to jail, according to a sheriff. His bail was denied. He is expected to be arraigned on August 20 at the Van Nuys courthouse.