SANTA MONICA, CA — A married couple was found dead inside their Santa Monica home Wednesday morning in what police believe was a murder-suicide, marking the city's second such incident in less than three weeks and its third this year.
Officers responding to a welfare check at approximately 9:04 a.m. Oct. 14 discovered two adults with apparent gunshot wounds inside a residence in the 2400 block of Fourth Street, according to a Santa Monica Police Department announcement released Friday.
The couple were identified as Elizabeth Lewis, 53, and Ryan Lewis, 44, according to records from the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. Both died from gunshot wounds to the head. The medical examiner classified Elizabeth's death as a homicide and Ryan's as a suicide.
Detectives believe the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide involving the married couple and that no one else was involved. Authorities described the incident as isolated and said there was no ongoing threat to the public. Police have not disclosed what led to the shootings or whether a firearm was recovered at the scene.
The latest deaths follow another murder-suicide involving a married couple in the 3100 block of Pico Boulevard on Sept. 26. In that case, officers conducting a welfare check discovered two adults dead inside a residence. Investigators subsequently determined that the husband, Hendrik Rabitzsch, 48, had fatally shot his wife, Nicole Rabitzsch, 47, before taking his own life, according to an updated SMPD announcement.
Police identified the time of that shooting as approximately 6:42 a.m. and confirmed that a firearm was recovered. The department reiterated those findings in its weekly police activity report published Oct. 12.
The Fourth Street discovery also follows a suspected murder-suicide in the 1900 block of Ocean Avenue on Feb. 7, when officers responding to another welfare check found a 54-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman dead inside a residential complex.
Both had apparent gunshot wounds, and a firearm was recovered inside the residence. Investigators said the two individuals knew each other, although their precise relationship was not disclosed.
The three incidents have occurred over approximately eight months, with the two most recent cases separated by just 18 days. It remains unclear whether investigators had previously responded to incidents at the Fourth Street residence or whether anyone else was present when officers arrived.
Patch has contacted SMPD seeking additional information about the latest investigation, including whether detectives have established the sequence of events and whether a firearm was recovered.
Anyone with information about the deaths was asked to contact the SMPD Watch Commander at 310-458-8427.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788. In Los Angeles County, domestic violence resources are also available through the county's hotline at 800-978-3600.
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