Second Santa Monica Couple Found Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide
Police discovered Nicole and Hendrick Rabitzsch dead from head wounds in their Pico Boulevard home, suspecting a murder-suicide.
Around 6:42 a.m., Nicole Rabitzsch, 47, and her husband Hendrick Rabitzsch, 48, were shot dead inside their home on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica. Police arrived for a welfare check at about 9:40 p.m. and found both victims with head wounds, and a gun was found at the scene. Officials believe Hendrick first killed Nicole and then himself, and they see no ongoing public threat.
The couple’s identities are being kept confidential until next of kin are notified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner. This tragedy occurs only five months after the murder-suicide of nonprofit leader Jeremy Ferguson and his wife, also discovered in the Santa Monica area.
Why it matters
The case highlights a disturbing pattern of domestic-violence related deaths in a small community.
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