Tarzan star Ron Ely’s tragic final years saw son kill wife in frenzied knife attack before being shot 24 times by cops

TARZAN prima Ron Ely has sadly passed distant astatine the property of 86.

The celebrated actor’s beingness was deed with immoderate devastating events successful his last years - arsenic his 2nd woman and their lad some died successful a horrific execution scene.

In October 2019, Ron’s wife, Valerie Lundeen Ely, a one-time quality queen, was fatally stabbed astatine 62 by their lad Cameron Ely, 30, successful the family's location successful the Santa Barbara, California suburb of Hope Ranch.

Cameron - who initially blamed Ron for the stabbing - was changeable implicit 20 times by officers astatine the country and his assemblage was truthful decimated his tattoos were unrecognisable. 

He was aboriginal recovered to beryllium unarmed.

Claiming his lad was handing himself into police erstwhile helium was killed, Ron sued the Santa Barbara territory constabulary for national wrongful decease a twelvemonth later.

The Santa Barbara territory lawyer described the police's actions arsenic justifiable homicide successful 2019, explaining they were summoned to Ron’s location by Cameron, accusing his dada of stabbing Valerie.

They claimed Valerie was dormant astatine the scene, “stabbed with aggregate wounds”, and Ron said it was Cameron who’d killed her.

They said: “The fishy told deputies that helium had a gun, precocious towards the deputies, and motioned with his hands arsenic if helium were drafting a weapon. 

“In response, 4 deputies fired a full of 24 rounds from their work weapons, fatally wounding the suspect.

“When deputies were capable to safely attack Cameron utilizing a ballistic shield, they recovered that helium had feigned being equipped and did not person a weapon.”

But successful October 2020, Ron accused the constabulary of lying astir what happened, adding that Cameron had his “hands up” indicating “the cosmopolitan enactment of surrender” arsenic helium came retired the location to the sheriffs.

He besides claimed constabulary opened occurrence “less than 20 seconds after” helium emerged.

He said archetypal responders were negligent successful their actions involving some his precocious woman and son, didn’t assistance his dying wife, and that Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department behaved successful a mode that was “reprehensible,” “egregious, wholly unreasonable, and, accordingly, unconstitutional.”

Cameron’s sisters Kristen and Kaitland Ely besides claimed the constabulary demonstrated “intentional deception, ineptitude and disregard for quality life” successful the mode they handled the transgression scene.

In video footage released by the Ely household obtained by the Daily Mail, Ron was seen successful a wheelchair, sobbing implicit his wife's dormant body.

As a brace of constabulary made their mode into the location with torches, a lawman asked Ron, “Sir, what's going on?”

Then different lawman saw Valerie's body, and said, “Oh my god, Jesus - wide the house.”

In different clip from the incident, Cameron is told "keep you hands up" earlier being changeable by officers.

Another shows him laying motionless connected the level as police handcuff him.

In October 2022, California's Central District rejected the Ely family's lawsuit, according to section quality outlet KEYT.

Sheriff Bill Brown said: “Although we admit that this was a tragic situation, and person large sympathy for the Ely family, the usage of deadly unit against Cameron Ely was justified and lawful nether the circumstances.”

'Erratic, unstable and volatile'

While officers assertion Ely’s daughters told them that Cameron had go erratic, unstable, and volatile successful the days starring up to their mother’s death, Kristen and Katiland contradict saying that.

However, an autopsy aboriginal recovered that Cameron was suffering from the aboriginal stages of chronic traumatic encephalopathy astatine the clip of his decease - a neurological illness caused by caput traumas. 

He was a talented backmost astatine Harvard truthful his sporting vocation whitethorn person been the origin for this.

In 2005, a illustration connected a assemblage shot website gushed implicit Cameron’s talent, penning “the entity is the bounds for San Marcos precocious schoolhouse QB Cameron Ely.”

Harvard besides publically praised his "supreme intelligence" and "ability to marque bully decisions" successful 2007.

He graduated successful 2012 with a bachelor of arts successful psychology.

'Family man'

Ron was a immense prima of the Tarzan TV bid from 1966 to 1968, and  did each his ain stunts connected the show, moving straight with the chaotic animals, including tigers and chimpanzees.

Due to this, helium suffered 24 large injuries, including 2 breached shoulders and assorted lion bites.

Ron besides played the rubric quality successful the 1975 enactment movie Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, but different had mostly tiny roles.

After divorcing his precocious schoolhouse sweetheart successful 1961, helium dated actresses Ursula Andress, Barbara Bouchet, Dyan Cannon, and Britt Ekland. 

Then, successful the aboriginal ‘80s, portion hosting a Miss America pageant, helium met Miss Florida Valerie.

They joined successful 1984, had their 3 children, and Ron retired from acting to absorption connected his household successful 2001.

He told the Daily Express: “Late successful beingness I had a young family. I decided to halt acting and enactment astatine home, arsenic an author, that mode I could beryllium with the kids each done schoolhouse and beryllium capable to be their sports games and things.”

In 2012, helium gushed astir however overmuch helium enjoyed spending clip with his family, with each 3 of his big children each surviving astatine location successful their Santa Barbara mansion.

“It’s large successful the morning. We spot each other,” Ron told website Fanboy Planet.

“We spot each different successful the evening, we spot each different erstwhile they travel and go. We’re ever successful touch."

Ron sadly died connected September 29 this year, astatine his location successful Los Alamos, California.

But his decease was lone announced by his girl Kirstin yesterday.

She wrote: “He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, household antheral and leader.

“He created a almighty question of affirmative power wherever helium went. 

“The interaction helium had connected others is thing that I person ne'er witnessed successful immoderate different idiosyncratic - determination was thing genuinely magical astir him.”