Ron Ely, Tarzan Actor’s Wife Stabbed To Death By Their Son

Tarzan Actor Ron Ely’s Wife Stabbed To Death By Their Son

The wife of Tarzan actor Ron Ely has been stabbed to death by the couple’s son, US authorities have said. Valerie Lundeen Ely, 62, was found dead in the family’s southern California home on Tuesday night.

Her son Cameron was found outside the property during a search and was shot dead by four deputies after an unspecified threat, a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s statement said
Authorities say after an unspecified threat, four deputies fired on the 30-year-old he was killed.

Ron Ely, 81, described in the sheriff’s account as disabled, was also found at the home and taken to an area hospital for evaluation. There was no immediate word on what may have precipitated the stabbing, Reuters reports.

Earlier on Wednesday, a spokesperson with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office (SBCSO) confirmed to PEOPLE that officers responded to the 911 call placed at the Elys’ exclusive Hope Ranch home at 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
When they arrived at the scene, deputies found Valerie, 62, dead inside the home with “multiple stab wounds,” and identified the suspect as 30-year-old Cameron.

After searching the property and surrounding area, deputies located Cameron outside the home and said “he posed a threat,” which prompted four deputies to fire “their service weapons at the suspect, fatally wounding him,” according to the SBCSO.

Ely is best known for playing the title role in the original prime-time TV “Tarzan” series, which ran from fall 1966 until fall 1969 – first on NBC, then on CBS.