SIMI VALLEY, Calif. – A prominent Simi Valley radiologist and his wife were shot and killed in their driveway Sunday evening in what investigators now describe as a targeted family tragedy that ended hours later with the suspected gunman taking his own life in Chino.
Dr. Eric Cordes, 63, and his wife Vicki Cordes, 66, were found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds inside the open garage of their home in the 500 block of Hawks Bill Place shortly after 6 p.m. on November 30. Despite rapid response by Simi Valley police and paramedics, both were pronounced dead at Adventist Health Simi Valley.
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Detectives quickly developed evidence pointing to 37-year-old Keith Cordes — Dr. Cordes’ son and Vicki Cordes’ stepson — who lived in Kentucky. Witnesses described the shooter as a white man in his 30s fleeing the scene in a black sedan bearing out-of-state plates.
Using the regional FLOCK license-plate reader network, investigators tracked the vehicle south on the 210 Freeway and eventually to a location near Ayala Park in Chino, approximately 70 miles away. There, officers discovered the car fully engulfed in flames. Beside the burning vehicle lay a man who had died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Severe fire damage initially delayed identification, but the San Bernardino County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Tuesday that the deceased was Keith Cordes. A firearm recovered at the Chino scene has been preliminarily matched to shell casings and projectiles from the Simi Valley homicide, police said.
“This appears to be an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the community,” Simi Valley Police Chief Steve Shorts said Wednesday. “While the exact motive remains under investigation, all indications are that this was a tragic act involving family members.”
Dr. Eric Cordes spent nearly three decades as one of Simi Valley’s most recognized radiologists, serving as director of radiology at Adventist Health Simi Valley and maintaining a long-standing affiliation with Focus Medical Imaging.
In a joint statement, the two organizations called Dr. Cordes “a brilliant physician, compassionate caregiver, and steadfast colleague who never left the community he loved.” Colleagues described him as the kind of doctor who remembered patients’ names years later and mentored countless younger radiologists.
Neighbors on the quiet, tree-lined street remained shaken days later.
“Eric and Vicki were the definition of good people,” said Mike Hylton, who attended the couple’s wedding years ago. “My son actually heard the shots from his bedroom. He looked out and saw the car racing away. We’re all just…numb.”
Police have not released additional details about possible motives or prior contacts between Keith Cordes and the victims. The investigation remains active in coordination with authorities in Kentucky and San Bernardino County.
Simi Valley police ask anyone with information to contact the department’s detective bureau. Counseling resources have been made available to first responders, hospital staff, and residents affected by the incident.