Wife and Son Killed in Tarzan Actor's Hope Ranch Home

Sheriff’s Office Confirms Identities in Hope Ranch Incident
At 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at the home of actor Ron Ely. Upon arrival, deputies contacted Ron Ely and discovered his wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, 62, deceased with multiple stab wounds inside the home. While on scene, deputies identified the suspect as the Elys’ son, 30-year-old Cameron Ely.

Deputies searched the residence and surrounding area for Cameron Ely. During the search, the suspect was located outside the home. He posed a threat and in response 4 deputies fired their service weapons at the suspect, fatally wounding him. No deputies were injured during the confrontation with the suspect.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is conducting criminal, coroner’s, and administrative investigations of this incident. Autopsies of both the victim and the suspect are pending. The names of the involved deputies will be released at a later date.

Update by edhat staff
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Deputies have shot and killed a suspect believed to have killed a Hope Ranch woman in the home of former "Tarzan' actor Ron Ely Tuesday evening.
The woman who was murdered is believed to be Ely's wife since 1984, former Miss Florida Valerie Lundeen, although police have not confirmed the identity of the victim. Together they have three children, Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron. Ely, 81, is believed to be safe and recovering at a local hospital.
The suspect's identity has yet to be released and it is not yet known how the suspect is connected to the residents.
Ely played a range of television roles in the 1960s but was best known for "Tarzan," which aired from 1966 to 1968. He also had recurring or guest roles in notable shows such as "The Love Boat," "Wonder Woman," and a revival of "Sea Hunt" in the 1980s. He hosted the Miss America pageant in 1980 and 1981 before retiring from acting in 2001.

Update by Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office
Sheriff’s Office Discovers Apparent Homicide in Hope Ranch Home -Suspect Fatally Wounded in Confrontation with Deputies
At 8:15 PM on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office - Public Safety Dispatch Center received a 9-1-1 call reporting a family disturbance at 4141 Mariposa Dr. in Hope Ranch, CA. Deputies responded to the residence and discovered a female deceased inside the home, the victim of an apparent homicide. A disabled elderly male resident of the home was also located and transported to an area hospital for evaluation.
Deputies immediately searched the home and secured a perimeter of the surrounding area. A shelter-in-place alert was sent to area residents advising them to remain in their homes as deputies searched for the homicide suspect. During the search, deputies located the suspect on the property of the homicide. Deputies attempted to gain verbal control of the suspect, however he presented a threat to them. In defense of the threat posed by the suspect, several deputies fired their service weapons at the suspect, fatally wounding him. No deputies were injured during the confrontation with the suspect.
The Sheriff’s Office is conducting a criminal investigation into the homicide, processing the crime scene and working to identify the relationships of the persons involved in the incident. The deputies involved in the shooting will be placed on paid administrative leave, which is routine following any officer involved shooting.
No additional information is available for release at this time, as this is an active and ongoing criminal investigation. The Sheriff’s Office will release additional information as it becomes available.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Deputies are searching the Hope Ranch area for a homicide suspect after a woman was found dead.
Deputies responded to the 4100 block of Mariposa Drive Tuesday after 8:00 p.m. for a reported domestic dispute. Upon arrival they discovered a woman's body inside the residence.
Residents in the area were asked to shelter in place as Deputies searched for the suspect.
Further details have not been released at this time. Any additional information will be added to this article.
Did anyone else receive a shelter in place alert in Hope Ranch? My mom just texted and said she received an alert to stay inside as police look for a suspect. Any information? She's near Estrella Drive and Mariposa.
Comments Penalty Box
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Oct 17, 2019 02:30 PMEveryone is an expert until they are in a life and death situation.
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Oct 17, 2019 04:27 PMBig ugly- look up the 21 foot rule- a person with s knife can get tons cop before the gun can be drawn if he’s within 21’. This was suicide by cop
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Oct 17, 2019 04:29 PMZero- sure you could. Anyone who’s good with pistols would never say something so naive. You’d shoot the mince out of his hand? Why do people’s hearts bleed for someone who just committed matricide against a 65yo woman? Cop’s number one job is to go home to his family.
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Oct 17, 2019 04:32 PMYou're not very familiar with firearms if you use the word "clip" in this case. None of the rifles, shotguns, or handguns in use by local law enforcement are clip fed. The word is "magazine". It is also fantasy to say you can hit someone's moving hand in the dark, let alone a stationary hand in broad daylight, with any handgun.
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Oct 17, 2019 10:43 PMA cop's job is to serve and protect the public...
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Oct 17, 2019 11:08 PMWhich is why most tactical pistol training is at 7 meters. That is the 'danger zone.'
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Oct 18, 2019 04:50 PMThe key part of your comment being "before the gun can be drawn." Do you think these Sheriffs' guns were all holstered?
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Oct 18, 2019 11:39 PMNo. They're trained to kill if they shoot.
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Oct 17, 2019 03:58 PMIt's a sad story. It's terrible that he killled his mother. I don't think he should have been killed by police.
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Oct 17, 2019 04:33 PMHighly recommend those who think cops should tase or shoot to wound watch some videos on the Police Activity YouTube channel for a reality check.
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Oct 17, 2019 04:52 PMThey need to release the bodycam footage. They are not even claiming that he had a knife. They’re saying he “presented a threat”— to four armed men purportedly trained to deescalate a situation.
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Oct 18, 2019 12:19 AMPeople defending cops shooting and killing people should watch the video of Aaron Dean murdering Atatiana Jefferson.
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Oct 18, 2019 08:07 AMHow does someone go from a 4.0 Harvard Quarterback to Matricide? That is a precipitous decline. Hope Ron is ok.
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Oct 18, 2019 05:51 PMIt's usually the smart ones that go over the edge.
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Oct 18, 2019 04:59 PMI honestly wish posters would show some restraint on all their silly conjecture on things like this until all the facts are in. Initial reporting is almost always too vague or incorrect to make a determination of anything. Even later on certain contexts remain unseen.
Get all the fact first. THEN Monday morning quarterback.
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Oct 18, 2019 07:56 PMOoookay...
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Oct 18, 2019 08:57 PMThis is for all the people bad mouthing the police. Think about this, Cameron stabbed his mother not once, not twice, but multiple times. He did not have a reality check after the 1st stab. He kept stabbing her. That is hateful, sick, Rage! Do you want your hard earned money to support him in Prison? People come out of prison worse than when they went in. If whatever disagreement he had with his mother, if he had displayed self control he would have just walked away. Then 2 people would still be alive. My heart grieves for Ron and his 2 daughters that have lost 2 family members. If you think you could do better than those officers, go apply to be an officer.
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