A judge ruled Raymond Boodarian unfit for trial in the killings of Robin Kaye and Tom Deluca, citing severe mental illness and a need for psychiatric care
A judge has ruled that Raymond Boodarian, the 22-year-old accused of killing entertainment executive Robin Kaye and her husband, songwriter Tom Deluca, is not mentally fit to face trial.
The couple was shot and killed in their $4.5 million Encino home on July 10. Boodarian was arrested the following day and charged with murder and special circumstances of committing multiple homicides during a burglary, which made him eligible for the death penalty.
On Thursday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi ruled Boodarian incompetent to stand trial. He will be transferred to a state mental health facility for treatment. “The defendant lacks the capacity to make decisions regarding psychotropic medication,” Cavalluzzi said in court. “Restoration is in the interest of justice, because this is a homicide case.”
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Prosecutors allege Boodarian entered the couple’s home to burglarize it and fatally shot them after they unexpectedly returned.
Authorities said Deluca was killed instantly with a gunshot to the head. Kaye died minutes later from multiple wounds. Their bodies were discovered four days later, after concerned relatives called for a welfare check.
“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,” officials said. “The victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds, and the suspect fled from the residence on foot.”
Boodarian was arrested at a townhome in Reseda, where he lived with his mother and sister.
According to law enforcement, there is no known connection between him and the victims. The killings are believed to have been random.
Court records show Boodarian has a documented history of mental illness and a prior criminal record.
At an earlier court appearance in August, he appeared glassy-eyed and unresponsive to questions from the judge. His public defender, Nancy Kolocotronis, said her client was suicidal and noted he was wearing a suicide gown in court. “He has severe mental health issues,” she said.
The couple had taken steps to improve home security after a break-in earlier in the year.
Security consultant Guy Cohen said he met with Kaye in May after someone entered their home through a kitchen sliding door.
“She was nervous because they had just had a break-in the previous evening,” Cohen said.
“An intruder came in through the sliding glass door in the kitchen. They were home and the dog started barking and she yelled and the burglar ran away.”
A 911 call from a neighbor on July 10 reported a break-in around 4 p.m. Roughly 40 minutes later, dispatchers received a second call from inside the house. The caller, believed to be one of the victims, was heard pleading, “Please don’t shoot me.”
Kaye and Deluca have since been cremated.
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