A Doctor and His Wife Were Found Fatally Shot in Their Garage — And the Suspected Killer Is Someone Close to Them, Police Say

A married couple in California was fatally shot in their garage, a burned body was found hours later in a nearby city, and police say the cases are connected by blood.

Dr. Eric Cordes, 63, and his wife, Vicki Schiller, 66, were ruthlessly gunned down outside their home in Simi Valley's upscale Wood Ranch neighborhood on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

Police arrived just before noon to find the couple lying in the driveway with multiple gunshot wounds after neighbors flooded 911 with panicked calls. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital but later pronounced dead.

'Dry Run' Before the Execution: Killer Waited to Strike

Authorities later revealed that the gunman was Keith Cordes, 37, the doctor's own son and Vicki's stepson. The shooting was no random act. It was a targeted, premeditated attack, investigators said.

According to neighbor Mike Hylton, the killer wasn't in a rush. He was staging an ambush. "He did like a drive-by, like a dry run at 11:25 and then went and staked out at that cul-de-sac," he recalled. "Then at 12:01, he must have waited for the garage door to open, and that was it."

That's when Mike's son heard the shots and saw a car speed off. Mike ran to the house and was confronted by a horrific sight: the couple bleeding out in their own garage, with Dr. Cordes slumped in the driver's seat of his Maserati, and Vicki lying behind him on the ground.

Dr. Cordes had been shot in the head and neck. "I watched them die," Mike recounted. "They [dragged] Eric out and tried to do CPR, but it was too late for him. He passed right away; she may have lived for another ten minutes or so."

Authorities Located the Suspect, but It Was Too Late

Less than three hours later, police located the suspect's vehicle, a black Honda Civic, engulfed in flames near Ayala Park in Chino, about 70 miles from the original crime scene.

Inside the scorched wreckage was a badly burned body, later confirmed through forensic testing to be Keith. Police say he set the car on fire and then fatally shot himself.

A handgun was recovered from the scene and is believed to be the same weapon used in the Simi Valley murders.

A Son's Grudge and a Family's Final Moments

While police have not officially released a motive, investigators are probing a long-standing family dispute. Neighbor Mike told the Post that tensions had been simmering for some time.

"There was a dispute over money, and basically there was a threat — and he followed through with it," he shared.

Keith had been living in Kentucky, but no one knows what triggered his cross-country return or what prompted him to pull the trigger.

Longtime Locals, Gone in an Instant

The couple were longtime residents of the Wood Ranch neighborhood and well-loved pillars of the community. Dr. Cordes had practiced as a board-certified radiologist for nearly 30 years and was affiliated with Adventist Health Simi Valley.

"The Adventist Health Simi Valley community is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki," the hospital said in a statement. "Dr. Cordes was a highly respected, board-certified radiologist and beloved physician who served this community with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years."

Neighbors remembered the couple as warm and generous. "We used to have cool little block parties," Mike said. "We'd go camping with them in the desert — they had an RV."

'You Didn't Deserve This': Grief Spills Online

As the investigation continues, family members have begun to mourn the unimaginable loss online. In a heartbreaking Facebook post, Kelly Cordes wrote, "You didn't deserve this. You were the kindest, most generous, and loving souls that welcomed everybody they met. […] RIP Uncle Eric & Aunt Vicki."

Authorities maintain there is no ongoing threat to the public. And as they work to piece together why a son turned a gun on his father and stepmother, another disturbing case, another disturbing case is still unfolding. It involves the suspicious death of a young woman, and once again, a family member is under scrutiny.

As we had previously reported, authorities are still sorting through the circumstances surrounding the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner. In the meantime, her parents, Christopher Kepner and Heather Wright, are sharing conflicting accounts of what they believe happened on the ship and who may ultimately be responsible.

Anna was found dead under a bed aboard the Carnival Horizon on November 7, 2025, one day after dining with her family, according to her father in an interview with People. The teen's death certificate, obtained by the outlet, lists the cause as "mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)." The FBI is investigating.

Estranged Mother Says She Was Barred from the Memorial and Blames Her Ex

Her mother, Heather Wright, who divorced Christopher when Anna was four, told Fox News Digital that she had been distanced from her daughter's life for a long time. She said she moved to Oklahoma and tried to maintain contact, but was gradually pushed out — even excluded from Anna's online obituary until it was later edited.

Heather described herself as deeply shaken by the loss, saying the grief has left her struggling to function. She emphasized the depth of her love for her daughter, insisting that the bond they shared remained strong despite years of distance.

She also recounted being warned to stay away from the recent memorial service, alleging that Christopher threatened legal consequences tied to old child-support issues if she showed up. Heather questioned why she was being painted as the villain when she was trying to mourn her child.

Heather added that she partly blames her ex-husband for what happened because, she said, he "put them in the same room together."

She later addressed the public backlash in a TikTok video she posted under the username @justmom1984, writing, "I don't care about ur judgment and opinions about me they are irrelevant to me so just know I don't and won't read what u have to say [sic]." — a clip in which commenters overwhelmingly expressed support.

One supporter wrote, "As bad of a mother as they may accuse you to be, at least you didn't PUT her in a dangerous situation that resulted in her death. That's all on dad [sic]." Another commenter told her, "She didnt pass on your watch so people need not comment on your parenting."

Father Hints at Stepson's Involvement: 'I Want Him to Face the Consequences'

Christopher confirmed in People’s reporting that court filings indicate that his 16-year-old stepson is being examined as part of the investigation in connection with Anna's death. He said he last saw Anna at a family dinner on the night of November 6. By the next day, a housekeeper found her body hidden under a bed.

While declining to confirm or deny what he knows about his stepson’s alleged involvement, he told the outlet, "I do not stand behind what my stepson has done," adding:

"I want him to face the consequences ... I will be fighting to make sure that does happen."

When pressed on whether he believes the teen was responsible, Christopher said, "I cannot say that he is responsible but I can't decline. He was the only one that was in the room and the FBI has an ongoing investigation in which they will have to provide the evidence to say that he did do it or did not do this [sic]."

As federal investigators work to determine who killed Anna, the family remains deeply at odds — tensions now playing out publicly. Heather blames Christopher, while Christopher signals that his stepson may face consequences.

As her parents continue to address the circumstances of her death, we previously reported accounts that offered more profound insight into the tensions Anna faced within her blended family.

A Troubled Family Dynamic Emerges

Anna's ex-boyfriend, Joshua Westin, painted a chilling picture of events leading up to her death, revealing that he once witnessed the stepbrother enter Anna's bedroom during a late-night FaceTime call. According to Joshua, the stepbrother tried to climb onto Anna as she lay down, but fled when he shouted, "What the [expletive] are you doing in her room?"

Anna never told her family about the incident. Joshua said Anna often kept her worries to herself because she was afraid speaking up might make things worse. He recalled that she never felt entirely at ease around her stepfamily, especially since they were still relatively new to her life — Shauntel had only been with Anna's father for about a year.

The ex-boyfriend added that Anna once told him Shauntel "doesn't really like her… she has an attitude most of the time and was very controlling over her." The ex-boyfriend said Anna disliked living with Shauntel's family so much that she frequently stayed with friends instead. He shared how close they had been — he'd even planned to be on the cruise with her.

Joshua's father, Stephen Westin, said the teen boy was obsessed with Anna, despite being her stepbrother. "He always wanted to date her," Stephen told Inside Edition. Stephen added that his son tried to raise concerns with Anna's family, but was brushed aside.

As the investigation proceeds, the stepbrother — whose identity remains protected due to his age — could face criminal charges, according to the Daily Mail.

Custody Battle Casts Harsh Light on Internal Strife

Recent court filings have shed further light on the troubled dynamics inside the blended family. The New York Post reported that Shauntel and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, are locked in a custody dispute in which each accuses the other of endangering their children.

In an emergency motion obtained by the Post, Shauntel alleged that Thomas emotionally and physically abused their two youngest children — one of whom is the 16-year-old now at the center of the FBI probe. Christopher, Shauntel, Anna, and two of Shauntel's children boarded the cruise on November 2. Less than a week later, the vacation ended in tragedy.

The FBI has yet to issue any public updates, leaving lingering questions, unresolved accusations, and fractured relationships in the wake of the cheerleader's death.

For now, the investigation remains the only part of this case moving forward with certainty. Until authorities determine what happened inside that cabin, the people who knew Anna Kepner are left confronting their own versions of the truth — and the painful reality that her final hours exposed fractures that may never fully mend.