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What to know about the killings of an 'American Idol' music supervisor and her husband in LA

What to know about the killings of an 'American Idol' music supervisor and her husband in LA

Independent18 hours ago
Los Angeles police officers conducting a welfare check at a home on Monday discovered two bodies inside with gunshot wounds. The victims were identified as Robin Kaye, a longtime music supervisor for 'American Idol,' and her husband, Thomas Deluca. A day later, police arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with the killings.
Here's what to know about the case.
Welfare check
Officials said someone who hadn't heard from Kaye and Deluca in several days requested that police check out their residence in the Encino neighborhood, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Officers entered the house Monday afternoon and found a man and woman shot to death. Homicide detectives were called.
The victims were identified on Tuesday as Kaye and Deluca, both 70.
The couple owned their home in the upscale suburb of the San Fernando Valley, according to public records.
Suspect arrested
Raymond Boodarian, 22, was arrested 'without incident' Tuesday afternoon, police said in a statement.
Investigators believe Boodarian was burglarizing the home several days earlier while the couple was away. Police had been called to the residence on July 10 but found no signs of trouble or forced entry. Now, detectives suspect that Boodarian managed to get into the house through an unlocked door and was surprised by Kaye and Deluca.
'The victims returned home while the suspect was inside their residence, and a confrontation ensued, which resulted in the suspect taking their lives,' the police statement says. 'The victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, and the suspect fled from the residence on foot.'
Officers interviewed friends and family, reviewed numerous surveillance videos, and recovered evidence of a homicide at scene, officials said.
Boodarian had not yet been assigned a public defender as of Tuesday evening and could not be reached for comment.
A television veteran
Kaye had been with 'American Idol,' the hit singing competition TV series, for more than 15 years. She had also worked in the music departments of several other productions such as 'The Singing Bee,' 'Hollywood Game Night,' 'Lip Sync Battle,' and several Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants.
'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,' an 'American Idol' spokesperson said in a statement. 'Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.'
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I gave birth then hours later police shared the horrifying truth about my baby's father, I wept in my hospital bed
I gave birth then hours later police shared the horrifying truth about my baby's father, I wept in my hospital bed

The Sun

time21 minutes ago

  • The Sun

I gave birth then hours later police shared the horrifying truth about my baby's father, I wept in my hospital bed

CRADLING her newborn baby girl in hospital, Cora Barnes' eyes filled with tears. But the 21-year-old wasn't crying tears of joy. 7 Just hours after delivering her daughter she had been hit with the horrific news that the father of the child was not who she believed him to be. He had been arrested for secretly filming himself having sex with girls including Cora. Pervert, Luke Greenfield, 26, had set up a secret camera in his bedroom to video women he'd slept with. What's more, she was forced to identify herself in images the police had taken from a video Greenfield had filmed. In August 2024, Greenfield appeared at Hull Crown Court and admitted 17 offences of voyeurism, involving 11 women as well as making indecent images of children. He was jailed for just three years. The police are yet to identify 17 other women in other footage he'd taken. Cora says: 'I was horrified to discover Luke had filmed me. 'I nearly threw up when my foster mother broke the news to me, just a day after giving birth to our daughter. 'I had no idea he'd been filming me during such an intimate time. 'The thought of him watching the footage back sickened me.' Cora met 'cheeky' Greenfield in October 2022, on a night out. She remembers: 'I noticed him standing at the bar and thought he was good looking. 'He was a 'Jack-the-lad' type, with lots of banter and I fell for him. 'He showered me with compliments and made me feel like the only girl in the room.' When Greenfield invited her back to his, Cora declined but agreed to give him her Snapchat handle. Days later, he reached out to her and the pair exchanged flirty messages. Cora says: 'He asked me to send him some sexy pictures but I jokingly sent him one of my tattoo on my leg. 7 7 7 'We texted on and off. Sometimes he'd disappear for days on end, only to claim he'd been busy at work at a tyre shop. 'I knew he was a player so decided to see it as a bit of fun.' The following month, Greenfield invited Cora over to his for a takeaway and film night. Within minutes of her arriving, he led her into his bedroom and they ended up having sex. Afterwards, Cora didn't hear from Greenfield for days. She says: 'One day, he messaged saying that he wanted a relationship and family with me. 'It was full on and I was only 18. 'I said I was too young but thought it was sweet that he wanted a future with me.' I was so disgusted at him, I didn't even reply Cora Barnes A few weeks later, Cora went to Greenfield's for another film night. But after sleeping together, he ghosted her again. Not long after, she realised her period was late and discovered she was pregnant but she says Greenfield's interest was inconsistent. Cora claims: 'Throughout the pregnancy he played hot and cold, going between saying he wanted to look after me and the baby, claiming it wasn't his.' In May 2023, Cora gave birth to her daughter after having an emergency C-section. But 24 hours later, her foster mother visited with some horrifying news. Cora recalls: 'She explained that Luke had been arrested for filming girls during sex. 'I couldn't believe it. 'But the police visited after I was discharged from hospital and showed me photos from a video and asked if it was me in them. 'There was one of my face, one of me entering Luke's room and another on his bed. 'I broke down sobbing.' Yet, the day Greenfield was released on bail, Cora claims he texted her, asking how his daughter was. She says: 'I was so disgusted at him, I didn't even reply. 'He was my daughter's dad so I'd always be tied to him but I knew I had to be strong for her.' In August 2024, Luke Greenfield, then 25, appeared at Hull Crown Court. He admitted 17 offences of voyeurism, involving 11 women as well as making indecent images of children. What is voyeurism? Voyeurism is the practice of getting sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or are engaged in sexual activity. It also involves getting enjoyment from seeing the pain or distress of others. The crime falls until Section 67 of the Sexual Offences Act of 2003. There are four subsections under voyeurism: Getting sexual pleasure while watching another person doing a private act and they have not consented Operating equipment with the intention of having them or someone else watching for sexual gratification from an unconsenting person doing a private act Recording an unconsenting person doing a private act and does with intention of them or someone else getting sexual gratification Installing equipment, or constructs or adapts a structure or part of a structure with the intention to watching an unconsenting person doing a private act for sexual gratification The court heard how he'd lured in women using apps like Tinder, befriending them on Instagram and Snapchat. He'd seduce the women then secretly film them. Greenfield even made some of the videos in his workplace and police managed to track down his victims by their first names, accents or mentions of their job. The judge said that Greenfield had caused 'serious emotional harm' as the women had no idea who had seen these videos. At the time of sentencing, police believed a total of 28 women were secretly filmed but only 11 of them had been traced, leaving some 17 women in other videos unidentified. Greenfield was jailed for three years. Cora says: 'I sat in court alongside his other victims but when I stared at Luke in the dock, his eyes were blank. 'Three years is pathetic considering what he put us through. 'Thankfully the footage has been destroyed. 'My daughter's coming up for two now and one day I'll have to tell her about her daddy. 'I still feel so much anger and know it will affect my future relationships. 'But I want to warn other women not to fall for Luke's charms. 'He's nothing but a monster.'

Relatives mourn Palestinian American beaten to death by Israeli settlers: ‘He made everyone feel loved'
Relatives mourn Palestinian American beaten to death by Israeli settlers: ‘He made everyone feel loved'

The Guardian

time40 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Relatives mourn Palestinian American beaten to death by Israeli settlers: ‘He made everyone feel loved'

When Fatmah Muhammad thinks about her younger cousin Sayfollah Musallet, affectionately known as Saif, she pictures him behind the counter of his ice-cream shop in Tampa Bay, Florida, carefully decorating her knafeh with the same effort he brought to everything else. She makes the dessert from scratch, and would sometimes ship it from California, where the 43-year-old baker lives, so the family legacy could grow nationwide. Saif would sell the Palestinian dessert in his little Amish-style ice-cream shop that carried international treats from the world over. The inventive 20-year-old would record videos for her, making sure each portion of knafeh was flawless, each layer was positioned exactly right. 'Make sure you get it perfect,' she would tease him from 2,000 miles away. He would go above and beyond, she says. Now, less than a year after opening that shop with dreams of expansion, Saif is dead – beaten to death by Israeli settlers on his family's farm in the occupied West Bank while he was visiting relatives. His death has left a family shattered and a community demanding answers. Zayed Kadur, a close family friend whom Saif called 'uncle', wrestled with all the ways that made his nephew by love special. 'He was just a very rare soul,' he says. 'He made everyone feel important. He made everyone feel loved.' Saif's eldest uncle, Hesam Musallet, said the impact his nephew had on the people closest to him was palpable. 'He would walk into a room and the room would light up,' he says. 'If people were sitting down, he would shake hands with everybody when he walked in, acknowledge them. Old, young – to him, it was all the same.' Customers at the ice-cream shop told Fatmah how if someone came in short on cash, Saif would quietly cover their tab without making them feel embarrassed. 'He really made everyone feel like family,' Fatmah remembers. 'No matter the race, no matter the background, no matter the age. That's just who he was.' Born in Port Charlotte, Florida, Saif was the oldest of four children. His parents had moved the family to Palestine for his elementary and high school years before he returned to the US to live and work. A few years later, the ice-cream shop came to fruition, almost by accident. Saif and his cousins noticed that an ice-cream store near their uncle's coffee shop by the University of South Florida was struggling. When the owner mentioned he might move on from it, Saif called his family immediately. 'That business, when he got it, was a failing business,' Hesam says. 'But he went in there, he turned it around. He had a passion for it … People would just come back for his customer service. He was phenomenal.' For Saif, this summer trip back home to the West Bank village of Baten al-Hawa near Jerusalem was routine – a chance to reconnect with extended family before returning to his shop and the life he was building in Florida ahead of his 21st birthday. His father had swapped places with him, taking his shifts at the ice-cream shop so Saif could hang out with the family. The family Saif was visiting represents generations of connections between Palestine and America. His uncle Hesam, who was born in the United States, explained how his father – Saif's grandfather – had come to the US in the early 1960s. His grandfather first arrived in New York in the early 1900s, spending a few years stateside before returning to the West Bank. 'There's so many people in our town that are American citizens,' Hesam says of their village. 'Most of their children and grandchildren all born here. So they go back and forth, summer vacations there. Everybody goes for summer vacations, weddings. It's just typical.' But on the day he was killed, Saif was at his family's farm in Baten al-Hawa, in Area B of the West Bank – officially under Palestinian administrative control but also under Israeli security control. According to witnesses, settlers had come to the land, chopping down olive trees and burning crops. 'It was a Friday. People will go out and sit around with friends,' Hesam says. 'And that's our land. If there's nobody there, the Israeli settlers, they would just like to come and just put up a tent so they can say it's basically stealing that part of that land.' The confrontation escalated, and Saif was beaten with clubs and bats. His friend Mohammed Nael Hijaz was the first to reach him. 'He was not moving when I got there and he could barely breathe,' Hijaz said. 'There was time to save him.' But ambulances were blocked by Israeli forces for three hours, his family said in a statement. During that time, Saif remained conscious, gasping and vomiting, held in the arms of his younger brother. Another young man, 23-year-old Razek Hussein al-Shalabi, was shot and left to bleed to death in the same attack. When ambulances finally reached them, they too were attacked by settlers. Saif was pronounced dead before reaching the hospital. The Israeli military claimed the altercation developed after stones were thrown at Israelis and said it was looking into the incident. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since the Hamas attack on Israel of 7 October 2023, and at least 9,000 have been injured. Israeli settlers seeking to empty the West Bank of Palestinians have grown increasingly emboldened since then, displacing dozens of communities through violent intimidation campaigns. The family's devastation is compounded by what they see as indifference from the US government. The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, posted on social media on Tuesday that Israel must 'aggressively investigate the murder' and that 'there must be accountability for this criminal and terrorist act'. But the family is well aware that the prospect of arresting violent settlers is rare. In his first days in office, the Trump administration rescinded Biden-era sanctions on Israeli settler groups accused of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Still, the family is calling on the state department to conduct its own investigation into Saif's killing. Saif's death isn't the family's only nightmare: Saif's 15-year-old cousin, an American citizen named Mohammed Zaher Ibrahim, has been in Israel's Megiddo prison for four and a half months. His family says he has been accused of throwing rocks, which they deny. He is believed to have lost nearly 30 pounds and developed a severe skin infection while imprisoned, with no family visits or phone calls allowed. 'We have a saying in Arabic,' Kadur says. 'Two hits on your head will hurt. And our family cannot take another blow.' The office of the family's Florida congressman, Republican Mike Haridopolos, confirmed to the Guardian that it had been contacted about Ibrahim. 'We have shared the information we received from his family with the state department and have been informed that the US embassy in Israel is following standard procedures,' his office said. The Israel Defense Forces did not respond to a query about the charges against Ibrahim, directing questions to the Israel prison service instead. The Guardian has contacted that agency for comment about Ibrahim's current condition. For those who knew Saif, the tragedy lies not just in how he died, but in everything he will never get to do. Nearing his 21st birthday, Saif told his father that he was ready to find a wife and settle down. 'He was not just a number,' Fatmah says. 'He was a friend to everyone, a cousin, a son, a grandson. I just don't want him to be forgotten.'

FBI footage of Jeffrey Epstein's final moments has nearly THREE MINUTES cut out amid Trump ‘bulls**t hoax' row
FBI footage of Jeffrey Epstein's final moments has nearly THREE MINUTES cut out amid Trump ‘bulls**t hoax' row

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

FBI footage of Jeffrey Epstein's final moments has nearly THREE MINUTES cut out amid Trump ‘bulls**t hoax' row

JEFFERY Epstein's final-hours prison CCTV video has almost three minutes of footage missing, new analysis has revealed, raising questions over how it was edited. Releasing the footage was supposed to put to bed theories about Epstein's death and the related files but has failed to do so - to the fury of Trump who fumed at those still pursuing the "bulls**t hoax". 8 8 8 Around 11 hours of footage was released covering the period in which he died - which the US Department of Justice claimed was the "full raw" surveillance video. A mysterious "lost minute" was noticed in the footage soon after release, when the clock ticked from 11:58:58 straight to midnight - skipping out 62 seconds. Attorney General Pam Bondi explained this was caused by a glitch in the prison's outdated system - and claimed the same minute is missing from footage every night. Then it was revealed that the video was actually made of two clips stitched together - debunking the claim it was the "full raw" file. And now, analysis of the data has show that one of those two source clips was around 2 minutes and 53 seconds longer than the segment included in the final package, reports Wired. This indicates that the first clip had been trimmed before release - and the data the first clip was actively cut at the 11:58:58 mark. However, it does not specifically prove that the missing minute was deliberately cut from the video. The footage comes from the only functioning camera on the night before the paedo financier was found dead on August 9, 2019, and would have captured anyone entering or leaving his cell, the DoJ said. Epstein was in prison as he waited for a major trial over sex-trafficking charges after decades of sick activity with minors. The CCTV shows Epstein being led into his cell at 7:49pm, and then a guard checking on him at 10:39pm - the lat time anyone is believed to have entered the area until the next morning. Trump ally calls for RELEASE of Epstein files but Don insists 'it's boring stuff' amid whirlwind of murder conspiracies Guards can be seen walking around the common area at around 6.30am on the 10th as they deliver breakfast. At approximately 6.33am, more guards enter the common area and walk towards the area of Epstein's cell - presumably after he was found dead in his cell. Epstein was found hanged in his cell on the 10th, but speculation has been rife that others were involved - and the release of the footage has sparked another flareup of controversy. It was released last week after a leaked memo showed that a probe concluded Epstein's death a suicide, and the "client list" of people implicated in Epstein's crimes does not exist - contrary to popular conspiracy theories. The so-called client list has been the subject of conspiracy theories for years as people speculated Epstein blackmailed prominent figures involved with the sick crimes. The FBI's conclusion that it does not exist directly rails against what administration officials have previously said. In an interview on Fox News in February, Pam Bondi herself said the client list was " sitting on my desk right now to review." She addressed the comment during a cabinet meeting last Tuesday, explaining that she had meant the Epstein file in its entirety. 8 8 And it was hoped that the confirmation Epstein's death was suicide would put to bed theories that he had been killed in order to prevent him from revealing incriminating information about his high-powered friends. However, even the release of the CCTV footage has failed to snuff out the conspiracies - leading to some within Trump's own ranks to call for the further release of the full files. Many within his MAGA movement allege that the files about the paedophile's crimes have been withheld to protect big names. US House Speaker Mike Johnson said this week he supported the release of the files. Speaking on a podcast with Benny Johnson, the Republican said: "It's a very delicate subject, but we should put everything out there and let the people decide it. "I'm for transparency," he added. Other conservative figures have since demanded to see all the documents related to Epstein's crimes, even as Trump has tried to put the issue to bed. Lauren Boebert, another conservative Republican said a special counsel should be appointed to investigate the financier's crimes if more Epstein files were not released. 8 8 And Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said the voters expect more accountability. Even Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a Fox News host, has called for "more transparency" from the administration. On Tuesday, Trump said the DoJ should release all "credible" information from its probe into the notorious sex criminal. But he repeated his claim that the so-called Epstein files were "made up" by his Democratic predecessors in the White House - despite saying multiple times during the election campaign that he would "probably" release them. He told reporters in the White House: "I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody. "It's pretty boring stuff." Trump's frustration boiled over on Wednesday when he unleashed a scathing ramble on Truth Social, taking aim at those he holds responsible for the ongoing attention, and those who have "fallen" for them. The President hit out at "radical left democrats", who he claims peddled the theories about Epstein's death and the so-called client list. And he fumed that his past MAGA supporters had "bought into this 'bullshit,' hook, line, and sinker". The MAGA camp remains left divided over a lack of clarity regarding the release of the hyped files. 8

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