Investigators released new details Monday about a fatal shooting that killed a married couple in their Simi Valley home on Sunday. Although a suspect has not been identified, police said a burned vehicle and the charred remains of a man found hours later in Chino appeared to be linked to the slaying.
Witnesses reported seeing the shooting at the home around noon Sunday, according to Simi Valley police officers. Rick Morton. An unknown gunman opened fire into the garage, where police found the bodies of two victims in their 60s, later identified as Eric Cordes and Vicki Cordes.
“At that time, a black Honda Civic was seen fleeing the area,” Morton told The Times. “Between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., we determined the vehicle was in the Chino area and was found fully engulfed and a nearby object also burned.”
Morton said investigators dispatched to the scene confirmed through law enforcement databases that the vehicle “is in fact connected to the double homicide in Simi Valley.” He said a man found near the burning car was badly burned and the incident was being investigated as a suspected suicide.
Police could not immediately identify the man because of the severity of his burns, but the San Bernardino County coroner is scheduled to conduct an autopsy on Tuesday. Investigators also found a handgun near the vehicle and are conducting ballistics tests to confirm it was the weapon used in the massacre.
“I do not know the caliber of it at this time,” Morton said, “and I will not know if this handgun is related to our crime scene until further investigation is completed.”
While a motive remains unclear, Morton said investigators do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the public “due to the condition of the subject located in Chino.”
The male victim, Eric Cordes, was a longtime radiologist at Adventist Health Simi Valley. Hospital leaders issued a statement Monday.
“The Simi Valley Adventist Health community is heartbroken by the tragic passing of our long-time colleague Dr. Eric Cordes and his wife Vicki,” said hospital president Alice Isay. “Dr. Cordes was a highly respected, board-certified radiologist and beloved physician who served this community with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years. As we grieve this shocking loss, our hearts go out to his family, friends and all who had the privilege of working with him.”
Morton said the attack was not gang-related or the result of domestic violence and that no other residents were inside the home at the time of the shooting. Police found no history of home phone calls or restraining orders involving the couple.
Instead, detectives believe the Simi Valley victim was a “target” based on investigative leads and information about the couple and the vehicle at the scene. Morton declined to confirm speculation that the suspect was a family member.
The killings occurred in a quiet residential community in southwest Simi Valley. Morton noted that the city averages about one homicide per year. He said the community was “very shocked”.
“Typically, in Simi Valley, things like this don’t happen,” Morton said.
Simi Valley police said the investigation is being conducted with assistance from the Chino Police Department.
