‘Executed in their own garage’: Police say California doctor and wife were killed by their son in a shocking family massacre
The wealthy California doctor who was killed alongside his wife in their $1.3 million home was executed by his son — who then fled only to set his car on fire and fatally shoot himself with the same gun, police have revealed.
Eric Cordes, 63, and Vicki Cordes, 66, died after being shot multiple times in the garage of their upscale Simi Valley home at around 12 p.m. Sunday.
A corpse found in a burned-out car in Chino, about 65 miles away, was identified Tuesday as the doctor’s 37-year-old son, Keith Cordes, the LA Times reported.
Dr. Cordes’ son’s body was found in a burned-out Honda Civic 65 miles from the crime scene.CBS LA
The son lived in Kentucky, and cops have yet to reveal a possible motive for the brutal double slaying.
The body was so burned that detectives initially couldn’t identify him. But license plate recognition cameras allowed them to track Keith’s black Honda Civic from the scene to Chino, where he finally stopped near Ayala Park, police said.
A handgun found in the vehicle is believed to have been used in the double murder that has stunned residents of Simi Valley, which only averages around one homicide a year.
Dr. Eric Cordes, 63, was a well-respected radiologist.Focus Medical Imaging
Additional forensic testing is being conducted by the medical examiner.
Eric Cordes was described as a “beloved physician” and radiologist at Adventist Health Simi Valley, who served the community “with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years,” the hospital’s president, Alice Issai, said in a statement.
Simi Valley, where the couple lived, only sees one homicide a year on average.CBS LA
The community “is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki,” she added.
“Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside him as we grieve this shocking loss,” Issai said.
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