In the quiet community of Yucaipa, California, a grim discovery was made on the afternoon of April 8, 2026. Authorities were called to a residence in the 12000 block of Bryant Street for a medical aid call around 12:15 p.m. Inside, they found the bodies of two men, both of whom had sustained apparent gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. One of the men was identified as 66-year-old Stephan James Slivka Jr., a resident of Yucaipa. The other man was 68-year-old Rodney Lee Chanadet, also a resident of Yucaipa.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Detail immediately began an investigation into the double fatality. What unfolded was a tragic story of a violent exchange between two men who were reportedly friends and lived together. Investigators have stated their belief that the incident was a murder-suicide. It is believed that Slivka and Chanadet shot each other with firearms.
According to the ongoing investigation, detectives theorize that after an exchange of gunfire, Slivka succumbed to his injuries. Following this, Chanadet, who had also been wounded in the exchange, then took his own life. While the relationship between the two men has been described as a friendship, the motive and the specific circumstances that led to the violent confrontation remain unclear as the investigation continues. Authorities have not released any further details about what may have precipitated the deadly incident. The case has been documented under DR# 142601086, H# 2026-034 by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.
