Married Seattle couple shot dead at their home by stalker, police say

CNN  — 

A woman and her husband were shot and killed in their Redmond, Washington, home by an online stalker who authorities were attempting to serve with a protection order, police said.

Ramin Khodakaramrezaei, 38, also shot himself dead early Friday morning at the couple’s home after breaking in through a bedroom window, according to the Redmond Police Department. The woman’s mother was inside the house during the shootings, but she was unharmed.

Before the killings, the woman had sought a protection order against the suspect earlier this month, but it had not been served because authorities could not locate Khodakaramrezaei, who is from Texas and worked as a truck driver, Redmond Police Chief Darrell Lowe said during a news conference Friday.

“This is the absolute worst outcome for a stalking case,” Lowe said.

The stalking victim and her husband, whose names have not been released, had been repeatedly contacted by Khodakaramrezaei after they met online through a chat app, according to police reports she filed.

Khodakaramrezaei reportedly listened to the woman’s podcasts on the app and began communicating with her, police said in a statement. The woman and suspect became friends but she filed a no-contact order against him when things escalated, police said.

“In one of the reports, she reported over 100 contacts in a single day,” Lowe said. “There were instances where the individual did show up at the (home) previously bearing gifts.”

When officers arrived at the scene Friday, they found the woman and her husband dead from gunshot injuries, police said. They also found Khodakaramrezaei dead inside the home.

Lowe pointed out even though a protective order was obtained in this case, stalking victims should be vigilant and work closely with local authorities in reporting all violations to help prevent harm, noting that such orders should not be perceived as an automatic shield from suspects.

“I do not want to create a false sense of security just because a restraining order or a protective order is obtained,” Lowe said. “A restraining order is simply a piece of paper that allows officers to take enforcement actions should a suspect violate the court order, but a piece of paper does not protect a person when someone is intent on causing them harm.”

CNN has reached out to authorities for additional information.