A spokeswoman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Wednesday the office would be seeking the death penalty over the murders of a longtime former local deputy and his wife in their Palm Desert home.
Indio Police Department officers arrested Kevin Reddy, 52, on March 21, 2025, following a standoff. He now stands charged with two counts of murders in the deaths of Art and Judith Reddy.
The latest felony settlement conference in the case was continued to March 20, according to an email from Molly Smith, public information officer for the Riverside DA’s communications team.
Former LA County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Art Reddy and his wife, Judith, were known by many in the community, and Art Reddy would go on to work at the national level for the LA County Professional Peace Officers Association, a powerful lobbying group for law enforcement.
Media reports from the late-1980s and early 1990s include dozens of statements regarding drug investigations and operations from Art Reddy, who acted as a media liaison on countless incidents.
The Reddy’s were the original owners of their home in the 26000 block of Tampico Drive in Valencia, where they raised Kevin Reddy, according to statements from neighbors following news of the murders.
The younger Reddy was remembered by neighbors for throwing parties at the family’s home when his parents were away.
Both victims were 84 years old at the time of their deaths. The Coroner’s Office stated the cause of death for Art Reddy as homicide by shotgun wound to the torso; Judith’s death was attributed to blunt and sharp force cranio-cervical injuries, according to Angela Estelle, a senior clerk for Riverside County’s consolidated sheriff and coroner’s offices.
IPD officers were performing a welfare check on the Reddy family and were unable to locate them.
During a follow-up check at another residence, officers encountered a man they later determined to be Kevin Reddy. When he refused to leave for questioning, a standoff ensued, according to officers.
Prosecutors ultimately charged Reddy with four counts at his arraignment, including obstruction of justice, related to the standoff response when officers tried to question him, and a charge related to a previous conviction. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
