Who was Ron Ely married to? Family tragedy involving wife and son explored as Tarzan star dies aged 86

Ron Ely died on September 29, 2024, at the age of 86 and his daughter Kristen recently confirmed the same through social media. Apart from Kristen, the actor had two more children, Kaitland and Cameron, from his marriage to Valerie Lundeen.

Notably, the cause of death has not been confirmed yet. Kristen praised her father in a lengthy statement shared through Instagram on Wednesday, October 23, writing that he was "strong and protective."

Kristen called Ron a "role model and inspiration", stating that he deserved respect for his humble nature. She also wrote:

"My father was someone that people called a hero. He was an actor, writer, coach, mentor, family man and leader. He created a powerful wave of positive influence wherever he went. The impact he had on others is something that I have never witnessed in any other person – there was something truly magical about him."

Kristen further stated that anyone close to Ron Ely was well aware of everything he did to "facilitate the dreams of those he loved." She continued by writing:

"My greatest comfort is knowing that my dad is with my momma and my brother. It is also my greatest sadness because I miss them all so much that it's etched into my soul. I will proudly carry all of my favorite pieces of them – lovingly cemented into my heart – until we all meet again."

Ron Ely was mostly known for his appearance in the NBC series Tarzan, where he portrayed the lead. He made his acting debut with the 1958 romantic musical film South Pacific and was the host of Face the Music. He additionally played important roles in films such as Once Before I Die and Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze.

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Ron Ely lost his wife years ago in an incident that involved one of his sons

The Hereford, Texas native exchanged vows with Valerie Lundeen in 1984 and he was previously married to Helen Janet Triplet for around two years. Ron and Valerie had three children from their marriage.

Back in October 2019, the dead body of an unidentified woman with stab wounds was discovered at Ron Ely's house in California. However, Ron was not inside the house at the time and the woman was later identified as Valerie, as per People magazine.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office also revealed that Ron Ely's son Cameron was the culprit, who was also killed by the deputies.

According to ABC 7, police officers received reports of a family disturbance at the house and they immediately found Valerie's dead body after arriving at the place. The cops began searching the house and the nearby locations and they eventually found Cameron outside the property.

A report from the Office of the Santa Barbara District Attorney claimed that Cameron was shot more than 20 times. The report also stated that the officers were able to find Cameron on a dark driveway and one of the cops claimed that he had a knife wound on the neck.

The officers even ordered Cameron to lie down on the ground a few times before he threatened them by saying that he had a gun.

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Ron Ely's son was pronounced dead after the medics arrived

The report from the Office of the Santa Barbara District Attorney says that the police officers checked Cameron after firing shots. The cops were able to discover multiple items, including an iPhone and a plastic bag with a white substance, which was eventually found to be cocaine during a test. The report mentioned:

"All four deputies reported that they feared Ely had a weapon until a point they handcuffed him, turned him onto his back, and pat searched him. The medics arrived very quickly because they had been staging on the street by the top of the driveway. Medics pronounced Ely dead on-scene."

A year after the incident, Ron Ely sued the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, stating that his son was surrendering to the cops before being shot dead. People magazine also obtained the legal documents, claiming that five officers did not offer medical help to Valerie after finding her dead body.

The lawsuit claimed that Cameron was shot "without any warning or legal justification." On the other hand, The Blast acquired the recording of a 911 call on the day of the incident, which revealed that the person on the other side was a male, saying that his father attempted to attack his mother.

While the dispatcher called back, the person on the other side was having trouble breathing and crying due to which deputies were sent to the place. The cops were able to contact Ron Ely, who told them that Cameron was the one who attacked Valerie and reportedly left the place in a car.

According to USA Today, Santa Barbara District Attorney Joyce Dudley responded to the lawsuit by describing the entire incident as a "justifiable homicide" due to which no charges would be imposed on the deputies.