A well-regarded couple in Simi Valley, California, were ambushed and shot dead in the garage of their $1.3 million mansion. To everyone’s surprise, the murderer turned out to be their own son. 63-year-old doctor Eric Cordes and his 66-year-old fitness instructor Vicki Schiller were found with multiple gunshot wounds, lying in their garage.
Police say the shooter was Cordes’ 37-year-old son, Keith Cordes, who then drove away to Chino, 70 miles away, where he set his car on fire and shot himself. This meticulously planned ambush was chilling.
Neighbor Mike Hylton recalled that the suspect had appeared in the neighborhood multiple times in a black Honda Civic before noon that day, as if he were scouting the area. He said the car passed by once at 11:25 a.m., like a “practice run,” and then stopped in a dead end to lie in ambush.
Around 12:01 PM, as soon as the garage door opened, gunshots rang out. Hilton’s son heard the gunshots upstairs and looked out the window, only to see the black Honda speeding away.
When Hilton rushed to the scene, the sight before him was one he would never forget: he saw Colz lying by the door of the Maserati, shot in the neck and head; Schiller lying behind him, “his body riddled with bullet holes.”
He said painfully, “I watched them die with my own eyes.”
However, the police have not yet confirmed this claim. The community residents are still unable to accept this horrific murder. Traces of red blood remain by the driveway, and a small memorial made of flowers and candles glows faintly at night.
Police and paramedics arrived and attempted to resuscitate Eric, but he died at the scene. Vicky clung to the wounds for about ten minutes before also succumbing to her injuries. Neighbors gathered in front of the driveway; the scene was stained with blood, and the air was thick with shock.
Hours later, law enforcement tracked the suspect’s black Honda Civic using a license plate recognition system; it had been set on fire inside Ayala Park in Chino. A severely burned body was found inside the car, which was later confirmed by a forensic doctor to be Keith. A suspected weapon used in the crime was also found in the car. Police said the motive is still under investigation, but neighbors revealed that there may have been a financial dispute between the father and son, and that Keith had made threats, which he has now carried out. However, the police have not yet confirmed this claim.
Today, that street, once filled with neighborhood interactions, camping memories, and backyard parties, is left with only endless questions and an overwhelming sense of sorrow.