Police in southern California are investigating the possible connection of a suicide in San Bernardino County with a double murder in Ventura County.
Simi Valley Police said they received multiple reports of gunfire just before noon on Sunday and arrived on the scene to find a man and a woman in a driveway with multiple gunshot wounds, KTLA reported. The victims, later identified as Dr. Eric Cordes, 63, and his 66-year-old wife Vicki, were taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but they died from their injuries.
Detectives said the killer walked up to the couple’s open garage and opened fire.
About 2 1/2 hours later, police in Chino were called to a parking lot for a car fire, but found dead person next to the fully engulfed black Honda Civic. Police said the person was burned, and a gun was recovered from the scene, KNBC said.
While police said they were awaiting the San Bernardino County Coroner’s confirmation of that person’s identity and cause of death, Chino Police said they had been contacted by Simi Valley Police about the possible connection between the two cases.
“Chino Police Department personnel coordinated with the Simi Valley PD Public Information Officer, Detective Sergeant Rick Morton, who confirmed they were investigating the double homicide and sent detectives to Chino to determine whether the two incidents were related,” Chino police said in a statement Monday,. “Based on preliminary information, investigators believe the incidents are likely connected.”
Morton told KTLA that investigators think the killer knew the victims and that there may be a family connection. A neighbor told the station that the gunman may have been the couple’s stepson.
“That is one of the leads we’re looking into, but we are still trying to confirm if that is the case,” Morton said said.
Adventist Health Simi Valley said that Eric Cordes was a radiologist who worked at the hospital.
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[Featured image: Eric Cordes/Focus Medical Imaging]
