Valerie Lundeen death: Wife of Tarzan star Ron Ely ‘stabbed to death by couple’s son’
Cameron Ely was found inside the house after a search and shot dead by officers at the scene
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Your support makes all the difference.Tarzan actor Ron Ely’s wife was stabbed to death by the couple’s son, whom police subsequently shot and killed, according to authorities.
Valerie Lundeen, a former Miss Florida pageant winner, was found dead at the couple’s Hope Ranch property in Santa Barbara on Tuesday evening (16 October).
It was later announced by the local police department that the suspect was 30-year-old Cameron Ely – Ron and Valerie’s son.
Cameron was found inside the house after a search and shot dead by officers at the scene.
According to TMZ: “Cameron posed a threat when they found him on the grounds of his parents’ home and as a result, four deputies opened fire.”
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office public information officer, Lieutenant Erik Raney, said: “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.”
Ely, 81, has been reported as safe by the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s department. He is best known for having portrayed Tarzan in the 1966 NBC series Tarzan and for playing the lead role in the film Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.
He hosted the Miss America pageant in 1981 and 1982, and married Valerie in 1984.
They had three children: Kirsten, Kaitland, and Cameron, 30.
Additional reporting by Associated Press