Beloved Doctor and Wife Gunned Down in Driveway, Suspected Killer Found Dead in Torched Vehicle

Simi Valley, California – December 1, 2025  A prominent local radiologist and his wife were fatally shot execution-style in the garage of their $1.3 million home Sunday afternoon, authorities confirmed Monday. The brazen attack, described by investigators as a deliberate "targeted hit," unfolded around noon in the 500 block of Hawks Bill Place, shattering the quiet tranquility of this affluent Ventura County enclave.

The victims were identified as Dr. Eric Cordes, 63, a board-certified radiologist who had served the Simi Valley community with distinction for nearly three decades, and his wife, Vicki Cordes, 66. Both succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds shortly after being rushed to Adventist Health Simi Valley Hospital, where Dr. Cordes had been a longtime colleague.

Neighbors, alerted by the crack of gunfire, placed frantic 911 calls that summoned Simi Valley Police Department officers to the scene. There, they discovered the couple sprawled in the driveway, victims of what Det. Sgt. Rick Morton called a "non-random act" in remarks to local media.

"This was not a random crime," Sgt. Morton emphasized to ABC7, underscoring the precision of the assault that unfolded in broad daylight at the end of a serene cul-de-sac.

Preliminary investigations point to no signs of forced entry, suggesting the assailant may have approached the open garage directly, firing at close range before fleeing. As of Monday evening, no arrests had been made, but a shocking lead emerged roughly 70 miles southeast in Chino, where a charred human remains were discovered inside a deliberately set ablaze sedan at Ayala Park.

Chino Police Department officials, in coordination with their Simi Valley counterparts, are probing the vehicle fire as a potential murder-suicide scenario. "We believe the two incidents are linked," Sgt. Morton told the International Business Times, revealing that forensics teams recovered a deceased male from the wreckage, whom sources close to the investigation suspect was the gunman who took his own life after torching the car to obliterate evidence.

The man's identity has not been publicly disclosed pending notification of next of kin and ballistic confirmation, though unconfirmed reports circulating among locals whisper of a possible familial tie—specifically, the couple's stepson—as a person of interest.

The tragedy has elicited an outpouring of grief from Dr. Cordes' professional circle. In a poignant statement, Adventist Health Simi Valley described the physician as "a highly respected... beloved physician who served this community with compassion and excellence."

Colleagues remembered him as a pillar of the hospital, specializing in diagnostic imaging and known for his gentle demeanor with patients young and old. Vicki Cordes, a devoted homemaker, was recalled by neighbors as the warm heart of the block, often hosting barbecues and tending to her meticulously landscaped garden.Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture: One resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, told FOX 11 she heard "three or four sharp pops" followed by screams, only to peer out and see emergency lights flooding the street.

Aerial footage from news helicopters captured the somber tableau—a yellow crime scene tape cordoning off the modern two-story residence, its garage door ajar like a wound, while forensic experts combed for shell casings under the relentless Southern California sun.As the investigation intensifies, authorities have urged the public to come forward with any tips, emphasizing that there is "no ongoing threat" to the community.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Office Major Crimes Bureau has joined the fray, sifting through surveillance footage from nearby homes and the victim's own security system. Ballistics from the Chino vehicle could provide the crucial link, potentially closing the book on what one investigator dubbed "a personal vendetta turned deadly."For now, Simi Valley mourns. Flowers and candles have begun piling up at the foot of the Cordes' driveway, a makeshift memorial to a life cut short in an instant of unimaginable violence. "Eric and Vicki were the kind of people who made this place feel safe," one longtime neighbor told CBS Los Angeles, voice cracking. "Who could do this? And why?" 17GEN4.com