In a quiet Venice, California, home on April 21, 2026, Mandy Zelinka, a 49-year-old Caucasian female, was found dead from a gunshot wound. Her death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, part of a tragic murder-suicide.
The grim discovery was made by Los Angeles Police Department officers who were called to the residence on Superba Avenue for a welfare check at approximately 10:50 a.m. Inside, they found Ms.
Zelinka and her husband, Jeremy Ferguson, both deceased from gunshot wounds. Investigators believe Ferguson shot his wife before turning the gun on himself. A firearm was recovered at the scene, and Ferguson's wound was determined to be self-inflicted.
Authorities were led to the home after Ferguson reportedly sent a suicide note to a friend which included instructions on how to access the couple's property. The investigation into the couple's deaths was classified as a murder-suicide, with no other suspects sought.
Mandy Zelinka was remembered by her family as a "vibrant force of nature who was creative and passionate in all she did." Her sister, Koty Zelinka Cole, expressed the family's devastation, stating, "She loved with her whole heart. That was all stolen from her by someone she trusted." Before moving to Southern California, Zelinka was a well-known and successful hair salon owner in Portland, Oregon. In Santa Monica, she was working on several creative projects, including a book and documentary.
