Tarzan’s son killed his mother in front of the actor. Later, he tried to frame him, but he died himself

In the second half of the 1960s, Ron Ely was one of the most popular American stars. He gained fame with the title role in the cult TV series “Tarzan”, although he had many more titles to his credit. In 2001, he appeared on the screen for the last time and announced his retirement. He then moved with his family, Valerie Lundeen, 19 years his junior, and three children, to a luxurious mansion in Santa Barbara, California.

The movie Tarzan witnessed the murder of his wife. Son tried to frame him

The family idyll lasted for almost two decades. Everything changed on October 15, 2019. Then the local police received a disturbing call. The actor’s son, Cameron, reported that there was a fight between his parents, which resulted in his father and his mother “trying to defend her”. After these words, the connection was disconnected. The concerned officer called the same number, but this time he heard a completely different voice. It was Ron Ely. Due to the health problems of the actor, who at that time was already in a wheelchair and had speech disorders, the dispatcher decided to send a patrol to the place. After 15 minutes, officers appeared at the villa, making a . Valerie Lundeen was lying on the floor in a pool of blood with stab wounds all over her body. She was 62 years old.

Evidence collection began immediately. Ron Ely, as the only witness to the crime, was questioned. He confessed that his wife was attacked by their 30-year-old son, who fled just after making a call to the emergency number. After testifying, the actor was transported to the hospital. At the time, his home was still under investigation. Police collected evidence both inside and on the property. Cameron Ely watched these activities covertly. At some point, he was noticed by one of the policemen. He then announced he had a gun and reached into his pocket. The policemen thought he was about to draw his gun and reacted immediately, firing a total of 24 shots. Cameron Ely on site. When the police approached the already dead man, it turned out that there was no weapon in his pocket, but … a bag of cocaine.

The police killed Ron Ely’s son. The actor pursues the truth in court

The prosecutor’s office initiated proceedings against the officers, which ended in discontinuation, as it was considered that their reaction was a “necessary action”. Ely’s family disagreed with the verdict. and their daughters filed a civil lawsuit against Santa Barbara County, four named deputies, and the sheriff’s office. The document accused the law enforcement officers of a number of violations, including, among others, failing to provide first aid to the injured Valerie, unjustly killing a 30-year-old man and violating civil rights.

The deputies saw Cameron walking around the corner with his hands up, a universal act of surrender. Suddenly, without any warning or legal justification, many sued deputies opened fire

— in the document, adding that the man was not helped for “at least 13 minutes”. Initially, mediation was conducted in an effort to reach an agreement between the parties, but the actions taken did not bring the expected results. For this reason, on February 22, 2022, a civil trial began in the Federal District Court in Los Angeles. The sessions are secret, so it is not known at what stage the proceedings are currently at.