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'American Idol' exec murder suspect charged in double homicide

'American Idol' exec murder suspect charged in double homicide

Yahoo6 days ago
VAN NUYS, Calif – The man accused of murdering an "American Idol" music executive and her husband appeared for the first time Thursday in a Southern California court.
Raymond Boodarian, 22, was charged with two counts of murder and one count of first-degree burglary. Special circumstances were also filed with respect to the murders, deputy district attorney Hilary Williams said outside of the Van Nuys courthouse. Boodarian remained hidden behind a door in the courtroom during the hearing.
The District Attorney's Office was prepared to arraign the suspect today, but the arraignment was moved to Aug. 20. He could face life without the possibility of parole, or death, Williams said.
'American Idol' Exec Murder Suspect Allegeldy Flashed Knives, Threatened His Mom: Neighbors
"In a matter of moments, this couple was senselessly killed in their own home as they returned from the grocery store," District Attorney Hochman said in a statement.
"This tragic shooting has shaken a valley community and the notion that home should be our safe sanctuary. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and friends who are grieving this tremendous loss."
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'American Idol' Music Boss Robin Kaye And Husband Found Murdered In Their La Home
Boodarian was arrested Tuesday on felony charges and held without bail after being accused of murdering the couple in their Encino home.
"He was arrested from his place of residence. Over near the 19,000 block of Vanowen Street. He was arrested without incident," Los Angeles Police Department Lieutenant Guy Golan previously told Fox News Digital.
"He did not provide any statements at this time, and investigators plan on filing charges for murder against him."
At Boodarian's home, a family spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "Sorry for everything that has happened. And sorry for the couple that [have] lost their lives."
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Robin Kaye, a music supervisor who worked on more than 300 episodes of the popular singing competition show, and her husband, Thomas Deluca, were found dead inside their home on Monday, July 14.
LAPD officials said Kaye and Deluca were both found with multiple gunshot wounds, and the double homicide appeared to be a random act of violence.
WATCH: LAPD LIEUTENANT SAYS MOTIVE IS UNKNOWN IN DOUBLE HOMICIDE
"We're still investigating any possible motive. Right now, we have no connection linking the suspect with the victims," Golan said before noting that Boodarian was identified through surveillance video.
"We still don't know if the suspect drove to the scene or if he walked or if he took a bus or an Uber … we have a lot of legwork to show the suspect being at the residence, other than simply surveillance video that we recovered from the house. And we have the next 48 hours to do that," Golan told Fox News Digital.
Kaye and Deluca, were found dead inside their home after officers responded to a call around 2:30 p.m. on July 14 for a welfare check in the 4700 block of White Oak Avenue in Encino. Both victims were 70.Original article source: 'American Idol' exec murder suspect charged in double homicide
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Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail
Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail

CNN

time17 minutes ago

  • CNN

Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail

Two men accused of torturing and holding a man hostage in a Manhattan townhouse for several weeks as they tried to access his cryptocurrency were granted bail Wednesday, according to updated case information. New York Supreme Criminal Court Judge Gregory Carro set bail at $1 million each for John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 33, who have been in custody since their arrest in May. Woeltz and Duplessie pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including kidnapping, assault and coercion. The 28-year-old victim, reportedly an Italian cryptocurrency trader, arrived in New York City from Italy in early May. He was abducted on May 6, police told CNN. It's not clear whether the victim knew the men who kidnapped him. Prosecutors said the unnamed victim was tortured for days, threatened with death and at one point dangled over a railing unless he revealed his Bitcoin password. When he refused, he was beaten, shocked with electric wires, and struck in the head with a firearm, they said. The accused also allegedly bound the man's wrists and threatened to kill his family, according to the Manhattan District Attorney. In late May, the victim escaped the apartment where he was allegedly being held after agreeing to provide his password, which was stored on his laptop in another room, prosecutors said. When one of the suspects turned his back, the victim fled the apartment and sought help from a traffic officer, police said. He was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that prosecutor Michael Mattson said were consistent with his descriptions of being bound and assaulted, the Associated Press reported. Woeltz, a Kentucky native and cryptocurrency investor, was arrested after the victim's escape. Duplessie, a Miami resident, turned himself in the following week. A search of the townhouse turned up a trove of evidence, Mattson said, including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor and night vision goggles, ammunition, and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, the AP reported. Inmate records show that, as of Wednesday evening, both men are still in custody. Their next court appearance will be scheduled for October 15. CNN has reached out to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for further comment. CNN's John Miller, Gloria Pazmino and Mark Morales contributed to this report.

Unlikely Destination For Design And Art Lovers: New Harmony, Indiana
Unlikely Destination For Design And Art Lovers: New Harmony, Indiana

Forbes

time18 minutes ago

  • Forbes

Unlikely Destination For Design And Art Lovers: New Harmony, Indiana

UNITED STATES - JUNE 09: Atheneum, New Harmony, Indiana. Architect: Richard Meier (Photo by Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images) Getty Images New Harmony, a small town perched on the Wabash river in southwest Indiana, is a very unlikely destination for design lovers. But those who make the trip — two hours drive from both Louisville, KY and St. Louis, MO and three hours from Indianapolis, IN and Nashville, TN – will not be disappointed. This rural town of about 800 people, many of whom get around via golf cart, boasts buildings by Philip Johnson and Richard Meier, public art by French sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, Anglo-German sculptor Ralph Beyer and American sculptor Don Gummer, and a park designed by a firm best known for their work on MoMA's sculpture garden. Philip Johnson's Roofless Church is set in a garden with gates by French sculptor Jacques Lipchitz License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging This is all thanks to Jane Blaffer Owen, an oil heiress from Houston (her father was one of the founders of a company that's now ExxonMobil and her grandfather established the company that ultimately became Texaco), whose husband, Kenneth Dale Owen was a descendent of New Harmony's founders. Soon after they were married, Kenneth brought his new bride to his home town; she fell in love with New Harmony and dedicated her life to its preservation and revitalization, earning many many accolades along the way, including Commander of the British Empire, bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II. Dedication of the Roofless Church with Jane Blaffer Owen and Kenneth Dale Owen, unknown photographer, May 1, 1960 Historic New Harmony; University of Southern Indiana It seems random but isn't: Jane's mother, Sarah Campbell Blaffer, was a passionate art lover and collector whose eponymous foundation debuted in 1964 with the mission of 'sharing great works of art with people in communities far from major art museums.' The family were long-time supporters of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and, in 1947, Sarah established the Robert Lee Blaffer foundation at the museum, in honor of her late husband (Jane's father). A few years later, Jane's brother John, and his wife Camilla, made a large contribution to the museum which resulted in the construction of the Robert Lee Blaffer Memorial Wing. Today the Sarah Campbell Blaffer collection is shown in conjunction with the museum, with works from the collection exhibited in dedicated galleries there. Bonnie Pollan left, David Boot center and his wife Kelley Bott look over paintings from the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston Tuesday, March 19, 2013, in Houston . ( James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle ) (Photo by James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag Jane knew of the the architect Philip Johnson through her friends Dominique and John de Menil, who were noted patrons of art and design, and huge fans of modernism in all its forms. In 1948, the de Menil's tapped Johnson to design their Houston home. It was his first residential commission, and was completed in 1950. They filled it with what was widely considered to be one of the most important art collections in the country, and entertained often. Philip Johnson, in front of the glass house he designed for himself in New Canaan, Ct, Fairfield County. (Photo By: David McLane/NY Daily News via Getty Images) NY Daily News via Getty Images But Jane apparently didn't meet Johnson until the mid 1950s, and in 1957 she commissioned him to design the Roofless Church. She also arranged for the French artist Jacques Lipchitz to create the gilded bronze gates at the ceremonial entry of the walled enclosure. License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging Several years prior, Jane had read about Lipchitz's work in an art magazine, and a maquette of one of his sculptures caught her eye. She reached out to him and had three bronze castings made of the piece. One occupies a place of honor underneath the Roofless Church structure, the other two went to the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Toute-Grace in France and the Iona Abbey in Scotland. Descent of the Holy Spirit (1946–55) by Jacques Lipchitz Historic New Harmony Over time, Jane added additional sculptures, memorials and a fountain to the Roofless Church site. They include: Pieta by Stephen De Staebler, Breath of God by Connecticut sculptor Mark Mennin, William Schickel's Grandparents' Baptismal Fountain and Ewa Żygulska's Polish Memorial . Pieta, a sculpture by California artist Stephen De Staebler Courtesy of Visit Posey County Jane met Paul Tillich, a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher, through Jacques Lipchitz. In 1963 he visited New Harmony to dedicate a site, across the street from the Roofless Church, that would ultimately be a park named in his honor. New York landscape architects Zion & Breen, who had worked with Philip Johnson on the design for New York's Museum of Modern Art sculpture garden, were tapped to design this space as well. It is set with large granite stones inscribed with passages from Tillich's writings (engraved by English letterer Ralph Beyer) and a bronze bust of Tillich by the American abstract sculptor James Rosati. Tillich's ashes were interred here in 1966, a year after New Harmony was designated a National Historic Landmark. Bust of Paul Tillich by American abstract sculptor James Rosati. Courtesy of Historic New Harmony 1979 brought the debut of the Atheneum by Richard Meier & Associates, which contains Historic New Harmony's visitors' center. The porcelain, glass and steel structure was the first major commission for Meier, and earned him a host of awards including the American Institute of Architects National Honor Award for Achievement of Excellence in Architectural Design. Meier's original drawings and architectural model of the building are part of the permanent architecture collection at New York's Museum of Modern Art. License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging Courtesy of Historic New Harmony Don Gummer's Fountain of Committment sculpture is a focal point of Church Park, constructed in 1996 (fun fact: Gummer is married to Meryl Streep). Fountain of Committment by Don Gummer Courtesy of Historic New Harmony Finally, New Harmony has not one, but two labyrinths. The Cathedral Labyrinth and Sacred Garden is a replica of the 12th century Chartres Cathedral outside of Paris, France. It was designed by local treasure Ken Schuette, a landscape architect and professor emeritus of Purdue University. His architectural work has also included concept planning for renovation of the Pentagon and serving as project architect for the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorial restorations in Washington, D.C. The Cathedral Labyrinth, designed by Ken Schuette, with The Atheneum, by Richard Meier, in the background. Courtesy of Historic New Harmony The Harmonist Labirynth was originally designed by the Rappites, a religious German society, and dates to the early 1800s. When the Rappites left the area, the labirynth was not maintained, and deteriorated over time. An early aughts restoration, based on archival information, returned it to its previous glory, complete with a stone Rappite temple in the center. License agreement: Alex Morgan Imaging The best part is that all of the above can be accessed free of charge. Many are specially lit at night, offering different, often dramatic, almost made-for-instagram views. For more information about New Harmony, and a plethora of resources, go to Visit New Harmony and the Robert Lee Blaffler Foundation.

Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail
Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail

CNN

time18 minutes ago

  • CNN

Suspects in New York crypto kidnapping case granted bail

Two men accused of torturing and holding a man hostage in a Manhattan townhouse for several weeks as they tried to access his cryptocurrency were granted bail Wednesday, according to updated case information. New York Supreme Criminal Court Judge Gregory Carro set bail at $1 million each for John Woeltz, 37, and William Duplessie, 33, who have been in custody since their arrest in May. Woeltz and Duplessie pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including kidnapping, assault and coercion. The 28-year-old victim, reportedly an Italian cryptocurrency trader, arrived in New York City from Italy in early May. He was abducted on May 6, police told CNN. It's not clear whether the victim knew the men who kidnapped him. Prosecutors said the unnamed victim was tortured for days, threatened with death and at one point dangled over a railing unless he revealed his Bitcoin password. When he refused, he was beaten, shocked with electric wires, and struck in the head with a firearm, they said. The accused also allegedly bound the man's wrists and threatened to kill his family, according to the Manhattan District Attorney. In late May, the victim escaped the apartment where he was allegedly being held after agreeing to provide his password, which was stored on his laptop in another room, prosecutors said. When one of the suspects turned his back, the victim fled the apartment and sought help from a traffic officer, police said. He was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries that prosecutor Michael Mattson said were consistent with his descriptions of being bound and assaulted, the Associated Press reported. Woeltz, a Kentucky native and cryptocurrency investor, was arrested after the victim's escape. Duplessie, a Miami resident, turned himself in the following week. A search of the townhouse turned up a trove of evidence, Mattson said, including cocaine, a saw, chicken wire, body armor and night vision goggles, ammunition, and polaroid photos of the victim with a gun pointed to his head, the AP reported. Inmate records show that, as of Wednesday evening, both men are still in custody. Their next court appearance will be scheduled for October 15. CNN has reached out to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office for further comment. CNN's John Miller, Gloria Pazmino and Mark Morales contributed to this report.

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