On Friday, April 24, the Los Angeles Police Department updated their statement and classified the death of Jeremy Ferguson and Mandy Zelinka as a murder-suicide. They also added additional details to their original case description.
According to LAPD, officers were called to the home on the 600 block of Superba Ave in Venice at about 10:50 a.m. on April 21 for a welfare check. Upon arrival they found both bodies with gunshot wounds. LAPD said Ferguson’s wound was self-inflicted and a firearm was recovered at the scene. While they made no statement about Zelinka’s wound, they did say the case has been classified as a murder-suicide.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner also updated their records to state Zelinka was shot in the head and classified it as murder.
No information from the Medical Examiner has been released about Ferguson.
In an initial statement to Portland area news stations, where Zelinka had operated a successful hair salon, her family had asked for privacy but after the homicide ruling, the family said they were devastated by the news.
“My sister, Mandy, was a vibrant force of nature who was creative and passionate in all she did. She was not afraid to risk failure in pursuit of her big ideas,” said her sister Koty Zelinka Cole to KOIN 6 news. “She loved with her whole heart. That was all stolen from her by someone she trusted.”
Since moving to Santa Monica, Zelinka had been working on a book, documentary and YouTube projects about the couple’s time living together on Tiger Mountain in Washington. She also worked part time at the Annenberg Beach House.
Ferguson worked for Downtown Santa Monica, having previously served as deputy director of public works for the city of Davis and road services operations administrator for King County, Washington, and earlier spending 17 years at TriMet — the Portland region's transit agency, and serving as elected mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon, from 2009 until his resignation in February 2015. At DTSM, he oversaw several high-profile activations, including a redesign of the Ice at Santa Monica seasonal rink and the launch of Roll at Santa Monica — billed as the city's first outdoor seasonal roller rink — in August 2024. He also served on the board of the Santa Monica History Museum.
Lisa Batey, who is currently mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon released a statement on Friday to Portland media.
“The City of Milwaukie was saddened to hear of the tragic events involving former Mayor Ferguson,” she said. “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Zelinka.”