New photos of Dr. Eric Cordes (63) and his wife Vicki Schiller (66) show them in happier moments before the day they were shot. The images reveal the couple with fresh tans and wide smiles, capturing a time when Vicki was also a newly‑named grandma.
They were killed in their home’s garage on the cul‑de‑sac of Hawks Bill Place around noon on Sunday. After the shooting, the couple rushed to the hospital but did not survive. The tragedy left the community reeling and raising questions about why a loving couple would be targeted.
A few hours later, police found a charred black Honda Civic 70 miles away, with a badly burn‑charred body inside, which investigators linked to the same murder. The vehicle’s connection to the crime was confirmed by Simi Valley Police Sergeant Rick Morton, who noted that a gun was recovered from the scene.
Neighbors reported seeing a white male—believed to be the couple’s stepson—near the house before the shooting, according to KTLA. Morton emphasized during a press conference that the victims were deliberately targeted, not random.
The neighborhood was shocked by the double homicide, and many residents took to Facebook to mourn the loss. Raul Gomez posted that Vicki had just become a grandmother and that he and Lanie had once taken over her Thursday morning spin class. He expressed profound grief and recalled how Vicki had encouraged them to become instructors two decades earlier.
Dr. Cordes had been a respected radiologist for almost thirty years, according to Adventist Health Simi Valley. The hospital released a statement saying, “The Adventist Health Simi Valley community is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki. Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside him as we grieve this shocking loss.”
Police say the motive remains unclear, but they do not believe there is an immediate threat to the public and maintain that the killings were focused attacks.
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