Crime & Justice

‘American Idol’ Exec and Husband Killed in Cold Blood

CHILLING DISCOVERY

L.A. police are investigating a double homicide after discovering the bodies of the music supervisor and her husband in their mansion.

Robin Kaye and Thomas Deluca
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Robin Kaye, an award-winning music supervisor for American Idol, and her husband, Thomas Deluca, both 70, were found dead in their shared home on Monday from gunshot wounds.

Los Angeles police were first called to their Encino mansion on Thursday after an attempted break-in, according to the outlet. They did not find signs of forced entry or the unidentified suspect.

While authorities have not announced a connection between the crimes, neighbors reported that the Thursday suspect may have been carrying a firearm when they hopped the fence to access the property, according to TMZ.

The couple's Encino home.
The couple's $5 million home was once owned by the late rapper Juice WRLD. Neighbors say that robberies are common in the neighborhood, though usually not to violent ends. NBC4 Los Angeles

Police reportedly returned to the home on Monday for a wellness check after concerned friends and family reported not hearing from the couple since Thursday.

Once they saw a trail of blood at the entrance, the officers broke a window to access the home and discovered the gruesome scene, with Kaye and Deluca’s bodies located in different rooms at around 2:30 p.m. both with gunshot wounds to the head, TMZ reports..

Footage of the home's broken glass door.
Footage from AIR7 shows that the home’s glass sliding door was shattered. AIR7

Footage from AIR7 shows that the home’s glass sliding door was shattered. No one is yet in custody.

“We didn’t hear anything,” neighbor Amee Faggen told NBC4 Los Angeles, adding, “We have a lot of robbery, burglary problems in this neighborhood. It’s very common, unfortunately.”

The $5 million San Fernando Valley mansion was formerly owned by the late rapper Juice WRLD.

Investigators at the scene of the crime.
The LAPD is investigating the double homicide. No suspects have been identified. ABC7

Kaye was a music supervisor on American Idol for almost 300 episodes and won three Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on the show. She also worked on other music variety shows like Lip Sync Battle and Hollywood Game Night.

Deluca was a solo rock artist who released his debut album, Down to the Wire, in 1986. He was also a signed songwriter with MCA Records, penning songs for artists including Kid Rock and Meredith Brooks, according to his website. Both Kaye and Deluca got their music careers started in Nashville, Tennessee, before moving to L.A.

While at the 2017 Annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, Kaye said music supervision is a near-invisible part of the music industry. “Pretty much everything in the entertainment industry has music in it, and people just think that it’s there,” Kaye said in a video interview shared by The U.S. Sun.