In a strange murder investigation out of Southern California, in mid-March, authorities found Demetrius Doukoullos, a 92-year-old millionaire real estate developer, dead and decomposing inside his Hermosa Beach home.
After a lengthy standoff with someone inside the house, the Doukoullos Hermosa Beach murder suspect emerged wearing a fedora, sunglasses, a black suit jacket, and a tie, which some witnesses described as resembling a The Blues Brothers outfit.
Meanwhile, the apparent Blues Brothers costume — a fictional musical-comedy duo, Jake and Elwood Blues, created by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi on Saturday Night Live, and later starring in the two hit films The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000, and known for their black suits, fedoras, sunglasses, and rhythm-and-blues performances — is not the only bizarre aspect of the case.
“Robert Phillip Simmons” or “Elanor Beaulieu?”
Reports also say the suspect uses two aliases, “Robert Phillip Simmons” and “Elanor Beaulieu.” The only thing consistently reported is that the suspect is 39, but it’s unknown if they had any connection to Doukoullos or why they were inside his home when police arrived.
According to a social media update from the Hermosa Beach Police Department, on March 14 at around 12:30 p.m., police were called for a welfare check after a property manager reported that their tenant, Doukoullos, had not been heard from for several days.
Officers entered the home and encountered Simmons/Beaulieu inside the residence, who authorities say did not live there.
The suspect claimed to be armed and refused to leave. After a seven-hour SWAT standoff, during which time Simmons reportedly barricaded themselves inside a bedroom and threatened violence and self-harm.
Eventually, Simmons/Beaulieu surrendered, and police took them into custody on murder charges with a bail set at $2 million.
In February, Redondo Beach, California, police detained Simmons/Beaulieu for petty theft, but authorities released them the same day.
Cops believe Doukoullos had been dead for some time
Authorities believe Doukoullos died several days before Simmons/Beaulieu’s arrest. Neighbors reported a smell from inside the home. Otherwise, his exact cause of death has not been determined.
Reports say Doukoullos’ body showed signs of trauma, and it’s unclear if Doukoullos and Simmons/Beaulieu knew each other. The reason behind Simmons/Beaulieu’s unusual attire at the time of their arrest has not yet been explained.
A comment on a Fox News story about the case noted, “There are a number of ways to describe that attire. ‘Bizarre’ isn’t one of them. It is a little anachronistic. Looks like the Blues Brothers. Or anybody from the 1960s or 70s, before Kennedy’s hatless style got people to gradually give up their hats.” Another added, “Jake and Elwood Blues was the first thing that came to mind.”
