The wealthy California doctor executed alongside his wife in their $1.3 million home was executed by his son — who fled just to set fire to his car and fatally shoot himself with the same gun, police have revealed.
Eric Cordes, 63, and Vicki Cordes, 66, died after being shot multiple times in the garage of their ritzy Simi Valley home at around 12 p.m. Sunday.
A corpse found in a burned-out car in Chino, some 65 miles away, was identified Tuesday as being the doctor’s 37-year-old son, Keith Cordes, the LA Times reported.
Dr. Cordes’ son’s body was found in a burned-out Honda Civic 65 miles from the crime scene. Facebook / Kelly Cordes
Dr. Cordes’ son’s body was found in a burned-out Honda Civic 65 miles from the crime scene. CBS LAThe son lived in Kentucky, and cops have yet to reveal a possible motive for the brutal double slaying.
The body was so burned that detectives initially couldn’t identify him. But license plate recognition cameras allowed them to track Keith’s black Honda Civic from the scene to Chino, where he finally stopped near Ayala Park, police said.
A handgun found in the vehicle is believed to have been used in the double murder that has stunned residents of Simi Valley, which only averages around one homicide a year.
Dr. Eric Cordes, 63, was a well-respected radiologist. Focus Medical ImagingAdditional forensic testing is being conducted by the medical examiner.
Eric Cordes was described as a “beloved physician” and radiologist at Adventist Health Simi Valley, who served the community “with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years,” the hospital’s president, Alice Issai, said in a statement.
Simi Valley, where the couple lived, only sees one homicide a year on average. CBS LAThe community “is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki,” she added.
“Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside him as we grieve this shocking loss,” Issai said.
