Man accused of murdering American Idol employee still unfit to stand trial — Rolling Stone
A court in Los Angeles, United States, has ruled that 23-year-old Raymond Boudarian, accused of murdering American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her husband, musician Thomas Deluca, remains unfit to stand trial. He remains at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino County, where he was sent in January.
Court decision
As Rolling Stone reports, Judge Maria Cavalluzzi made the ruling based on a report submitted by hospital officials ahead of the hearing. Boudarian was not present at the Los Angeles County mental health court hearing.
The court document states that the defendant must continue to be held and treated. An order for involuntary medication also remains in effect. The maximum period of detention was set until December 19, 2027, while the next hearing on Boudarian’s condition was scheduled for March 22, 2027.
Details of the charges
Boudarian was charged with the murders of Kaye and Deluca during an alleged break-in at their home in the Encino area on July 10, 2025. According to prosecutors, the couple, both aged 70, returned from shopping and found the man inside their residence.
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Officials claim that Kaye and Deluca were shot several times with a weapon Boudarian allegedly found in the house. Prosecutors say he then fled, and the couple’s bodies were discovered four days later during a welfare check.
According to search warrant materials obtained by Rolling Stone, a neighbor told police about a man climbing over a fence near the house. Surveillance cameras, officials said, recorded the suspect leaving the property about 10 minutes after the couple returned, with a handgun concealed in his waistband. Police came to the house that day but, officials said, found no signs of a break-in and did not enter.
The defendant’s condition
During a previous hearing, Boudarian did not respond when addressed by the judge and stared into space. His public defender then said that the client had serious mental health issues. The case can proceed only after the court finds the defendant competent to participate in his own defense. If convicted, he could face the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Robin Kaye had worked on American Idol since 2009 and also worked in the music departments of the NAACP Image Awards and the program Lip Sync Battle. Thomas Deluca was a songwriter and performer who wrote music, including for Micky Dolenz of The Monkees.
