Police say the wife of Tarzan actor Ron Elys was stabbed to death by their own son, and was shot dead by responding officers at the scene.
Former Miss Florida Valerie Lundeen, 62, was found dead at the couple’s exclusive Hope Ranch property in Santa Barbara on Tuesday, according to sources.
On Wednesday evening the Sheriff’s Department confirmed that suspect Cameron Ely – Ron and Valerie’s son – was shot dead by officers.
Authorities say that Cameron posted a threat when they found him on the grounds of the property and four deputies then opened fire, according to TMZ.
Officials say that Cameron called police after allegedly killing his mother, but blamed the attack on his 81-year-old disabled father.
In audio obtained by The Blast, the original caller to the emergency services was a young male who said his ‘father tried to attack the mother’.
The operator adds that when the authorities called back the caller sounded ‘out of breath, unintelligible and crying’.
Police say that 62-year-old Valerie Lundeen (right), the wife of Tarzan actor Ron Elys, was stabbed to death by their own son Cameron Ely (left). She was found dead Tuesday night
Santa Barbara police said that an elderly woman has been killed at the house of 1960s Tarzan actor Ron Ely on Tuesday. The victim was later confirmed by sources to be his wife Valerie. The couple are pictured left in a recent Facebook photo and right in 1977
A body bag is taken out of the home of Ron and Valerie Ely. The man suspected of murdering Valerie was shot and killed by a deputy at the scene at the exclusive Hope Ranch residential community along the Santa Barbara coast, where the couple lived
Ely, who is now 81, featured in a number of TV appearances during the 1960s but found his break playing the lead role in the 1966 NBC series Tarzan, pictured
Video courtesy of KEYT
Actor Ely, 81, has been reported as safe by the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s department.
Valerie and Ron had been married for 35 years and have three children together, Kirsten, Kaitland and Cameron.
Lt. Erik Raney of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office at first told CNN Ely told police a relative was involved in the death.
Police said the suspect was armed and presented as a threat. Video from the scene captured the moment police fired shots.
Raney said: ‘We wanted to make sure all the residents were safe while we searched the area.
‘We had initially called in the air support unit and neighboring law enforcement agencies to come help in the search and when we were able to locate the suspect on the property of the homicide, and after the confrontation, we lifted the shelter in place. We don’t believe there is any further threat to the public.’
Police say that Valerie Lundeen (second right), the wife of Tarzan actor Ron Elys (second left), was stabbed to death by their own son Cameron Ely (far left). They pose above with the couple’s son-in-law Jason (third from left), daughter Kaitland (third from right) and daughter Kirsten (far right) in 2016
Police found the suspect hiding during a search of the premises.
Raney added: ‘We don’t know exactly how many shots were fired. We did have several deputies that were involved in the shooting. Fortunately all of our deputies are OK.’
Santa Barbara County Coroner removed two bodies from Ely’s home, Valerie’a and the male suspect.
Ely featured in a number of TV appearances during the 1960s but found his break playing the lead role in the 1966 NBC series Tarzan.
He also played the title role in 1975 movie Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.
As well as a career studded with occasional parts on TV, Ely hosted the Miss America pageant between 1979 and 1981.
He retired from acting in 2001 but did return for a part in a TV movie called Expecting Amish in 2014.
DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for the Ely family and Santa Barbara police for comment.
Officers at the scene Wednesday. Police said the suspect was armed and presented as a threat. Video from the scene captured the moment police fired shots
Actor Ron Ely and family attend Second Annual Toys for Tots Benefit on December 19, 1992 at Hancock Park in Los Angeles, California
Ely’s wife Valerie pictured with daughters Kirsten and Kaitland. Deputies responded to a family disturbance call to discover the body of an older woman at around 8.15 pm on Tuesday
Authorities are yet to confirm the connection between Ely, his wife Valerie and the dead suspect. It is not known if Ely was home at the time at the time of the shooting, but authorities reported a disabled elderly man at the property
The couple’s home in Hope Ranch. The suspect was found hiding during a search of the house
Profile of Ron Ely
- Ronald Pierce Ely is an American actor and novelist born in Hereford, Texas, and raised in Amarillo.
- Best known for playing the lead role in 1966 NBC series Tarzan
- He also played the title role in 1975 movie Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze
- When not acting, Ely hosted the Miss America pageant between 1979 and 1981.
- He retired from the profession in 2001 but did return for a part in a TV movie called Expecting Amish in 2014
- Ely was married to first wife Cathy Ely between 1959 and 1961
- He has been married to former Miss Florida, Valerie Lundeen, for 35 years
- The couple have three children together called Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron
- Ely embarked on novel writing career during the 90s and wrote two mystery books involving the fictional private eye, Jake Sands
- Night Shadows was released in 1994 and East Beach one year later