The American Idolfamily has lost one of its own.
Robin Kaye, a music supervisor for 15 seasons of the singing competition series, and her husband Thomas Deluca—a songwriter and musician—were discovered murdered in their Los Angeles home July 14, the LAPD confirmed to NBC News. Both were 70 years old.
Police officials confirmed to E! News that officers performed a requested welfare check at the couple’s home July 14 and discovered one male and one female victim who were “suffering from possible gunshot wounds.” The Los Angeles Fire Department was called to the scene, where they pronounced the victims deceased.
Authorities also confirmed to E! News that there is currently no motive, but an investigation is ongoing. As a result, a suspect is currently in custody, a law enforcement source confirmed to NBC News.
Law enforcement sources reportedly told TMZ that Kaye and Deluca were both shot in the head and found in different rooms of the home. According to the sources, the home was not ransacked, so the deaths don’t appear to be the result of a burglary.
The sources also told the outlet that they were called to the home on July 10 due to an unidentified, and potentially armed, suspect who was seen trying to gain entry. The officers who responded to the scene allegedly found no signs of forced entry and searched the property before leaving. Officers noted that it’s unclear if this incident is related to the double homicide.
E! News has reached out to reps for American Idol for comment and has not yet heard back.
In addition to being an award-winning music supervisor on Idol, Kaye served in the same role on the Jimmy Fallon-created series Lip Sync Battle, which delivered viral moments such as Tom Holland’s rain-soaked performance of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and his fiancée Zendaya’s rendition of Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic.”
Kaye also worked as the music supervisor for multiple iterations of the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants, as well as the annual NAACP Image Awards.
After news of Kaye and Deluca’s tragic deaths, American Idol shared their heartbreak.
“We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom’s, passing,” a spokesperson for the series said in a statement to Deadline. “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. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
