Former Hockey Pro, Woman Found Dead In California Condo, Homicide Investigation Underway
A former professional hockey player and a mother of two were found dead over the weekend in a California condo. The deaths of the athlete and the woman, a criminal justice advocate, were being investigated as a double homicide, police said Tuesday.
Wendi Miller, 48, and Darren Partch, 38, were found dead by the athlete's roommate who walked into their Newport Beach condo and saw the bodies, local media KTLA reported. The pair were last seen together at a bar in Laguna Beach late Saturday night. Authorities said information about how they were killed or what their relationship was remained unclear.
Police believe their killings were an “isolated incident” and that there was no threat to people in the area. Investigators said there was no sign of forced entry at the condo. The cause of death was under investigation, Newport Beach Police Department Officer Heather Rangel said.
Friends of both victims said they could not believe anyone would want to hurt them.
"She was a Christian and a really sweet lady who would do anything for you," Terri Rawson, a neighbor of Miller told KTLA. "It's shocking and heartbreaking that she won't be with us. I'm really going to miss her because she's a great neighbor."
In a Facebook post, Miller's son, Luke Carpenter, wrote, "First of all I want to say thank you for all the love and support from everyone. It’s way more than I could ever hope for. For those who don’t know my mother was found. She had been shot and it was told to us that she did not suffer. The police are still investigating all the details. Thank you for all the prayers and please don’t stop because I feel our family needs them even more now. I have no doubt in my mind that she was loved on earth and I’m happy that she gets to be loved even better in heaven. I love you mom."
Miller founded an advocacy organization called Wings for Justice, aimed at protecting children who were in the family court system. Her online bio states she spent her life devoting "herself to the healing and edification of children, adults, and families," and spent more than 12 years working as a licensed psychologist in California and Michigan.
Partch had been playing professional hockey for years as a forward for teams including the Waterloo Black Hawks and San Diego Gulls, according to Hockeydb.com.
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