What Happened to Robin Kaye? Inside ‘American Idol’ Exec & Her Husband’s Deaths

American Idol returns with a brand new season on Monday, January 26, six months after the show was rocked by the loss of music supervisor Robin Kaye. Kaye and her husband, Tom DeLuca, died tragically in July 2025.

Kaye was working on Season 24 of American Idol when she was killed, per The Hollywood Reporter. “We are devastated to hear of Robin and her dear husband, Tom’s, passing,” the show said in a statement. “Robin has been a cornerstone of the Idol family since 2009 and was truly loved and respected by all who came in contact with her. Robin will remain in our hearts forever and we share our deepest sympathy with her family and friends during this difficult time.”

Scroll down to learn more about who she was, how she died, and more.

Who was Robin Kaye?

Kaye worked as a music supervisor on American Idol, which meant that she secured licensing for the songs used on the show. Kaye also worked as a music supervisor for various Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants over the years, as well as shows including Nashville Star, The Singing Bee, Hollywood Game Night, and more.

According to her bio, Kaye began her career on the artist management side of the music industry. She worked for Waylon Jennings in Nashville, then became the vice president of artist development and broadcast media at MTM Records. She then moved to Chicago to work at Sound Management as a vice president and artist manager, eventually relocating to Los Angeles to work in music publishing.

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Kaye then worked at MCA-Universal Records in the licensing department before she began running the music licensing divisions at PolyGram Records. She started her own company, SyncroniCity, in 2000, which began as representatives for artists and labels, including Andrea Bocelli and Donnie Osmond.

SyncroniCity eventually began supervising music on “music-intensive shows,” which includes American Idol.

What happened to Robin Kaye and her husband?

Kaye and DeLuca, who were both 70 years old, were killed inside their Encino, California, home on July 10, 2025. Their bodies were found four days later after an acquaintance who had not heard from them called police to do a welfare check, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed.

Both Kaye and DeLuca died from multiple gunshot wounds, their death certificates revealed. “In a matter of moments, this couple was senselessly killed in their own home as they returned from the grocery store,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

Police reviewed surveillance footage that revealed there was a “violent struggle” between the couple and the man suspected of their murders, who was suspected of entering through an unlocked door and burglarizing DeLuca and Kaye’s home while they were at the grocery store. They were killed with their own gun.

Prior to their deaths, Kaye and DeLuca were outspoken about safety in their neighborhood. One month before they died, Kaye even appeared via Zoom at a neighborhood council meeting and revealed that her home had been invaded a few months prior. She also reportedly spoke with the owner of a private security company and expressed her fears about the increase of burglaries in her neighborhood, according to People.

Who is suspected of killing Robin Kaye and her husband?

Twenty-two-year-old Raymond Boodarian was charged with the deaths of Kaye and DeLuca on July 17, 2025, two days after he was arrested on suspicion of their murder. He was charged with two counts of murder and one count of residential burglary.

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In November 2025, Boodarian was declared mentally incompetent to stand trial and ordered to be committed to a state hospital, according to ABC7 in Los Angeles. A judge upheld the decision at a follow-up hearing in December 2025. An order to involuntarily medicate Boodarian has been put in place.

“The court also finds it is medically appropriate to treat [Boodarian’s] psychiatric condition with psychotropic medication because this medication is likely to be effective,” the judge said, per Page Six. His specific diagnosis was not confirmed, but the judge added, “The defendant lacks the capacity to make decisions regarding psychotropic medication.”

Boodarian reportedly has a history of mental illness and prior arrests. The LAPD determined that the killings appeared to be random and that the suspect had no prior connection to DeLuca and Kaye.

Did Robin Kaye and Tom DeLuca have children?

Kaye and DeLuca do not appear to have had children, although details about their personal lives are scarce.

American Idol, Season 24 Premiere, Monday, January 26, 8/7, ABC