Investigators in Los Angeles have classified the deaths of former Milwaukie Mayor Jeremy Ferguson and his wife, Mandy Zelinka, as an apparent murder-suicide, sending shockwaves through the small Oregon city where Ferguson once served as a prominent civic leader.
Ferguson and Zelinka were discovered dead from gunshot wounds inside their Venice, California, home in April 2026. The Los Angeles Police Department formally classified the case as a murder-suicide, determining that Ferguson’s gunshot wound was self-inflicted. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Zelinka’s death a homicide, noting she had been shot in the head.
The discovery has left Milwaukie, a tight-knit city of roughly 21,000 residents just south of Portland, reeling from the loss of a former leader whose death unfolded far from the community where he built his political career.
A Public Life in Milwaukie
Ferguson served as mayor of the Oregon city from 2009 to 2015, a period during which he became known for his hands-on approach to governance. Colleagues remembered him as energetic and accessible, the kind of small-city mayor who answered his own emails and showed up at neighborhood meetings without an entourage.
During his time as mayor, he was known for engaging directly with constituents on issues ranging from downtown revitalization to public safety and parks investment. Milwaukie, perched along the Willamette River, has in recent years wrestled with growth pressures, transportation challenges and the spillover effects of Portland’s ongoing struggles with housing and homelessness.
Ferguson also spent nearly two decades working for TriMet, the Portland area’s regional transit agency. After leaving office, Ferguson largely stepped out of the political spotlight, though he remained connected to civic life in the region.
The couple had been living in the Los Angeles area, where Ferguson served as director of operations and placemaking for Downtown Santa Monica Inc., a nonprofit focused on economic development. He also served on the board of the Santa Monica History Museum.
A Grim Discovery in California
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were called to the couple’s home on the 600 block of Superba Avenue in Venice after Ferguson emailed a suicide note to a friend, who rushed to the residence and called police upon arrival. Officers found both Ferguson and Zelinka dead from gunshot wounds. A firearm was recovered at the scene.
Authorities confirmed the discovery hours later. The deaths, which investigators believe occurred around the time of the discovery, have rippled through Milwaukie, where Ferguson was once a familiar face at City Hall, ribbon-cuttings and community events.
Few details about the circumstances of the couple’s deaths have been publicly released. The Los Angeles Police Department has not publicly identified a motive, and the medical examiner’s office is expected to release official cause of death determinations in the coming weeks. Toxicology reports in such cases routinely take months to complete.
Friends and former colleagues in Oregon described the news as shocking, saying they had not been aware of any acute crisis in the couple’s life.
Community Reels From the News
Zelinka, 49, a Portland native, was a well-known entrepreneur and stylist who co-founded and co-owned a salon in the city’s Pearl District. She was described by acquaintances as warm and devoted to her family. The couple had been married for years and were considered by those who knew them to be a stable, affectionate pair, making the circumstances of their deaths all the more difficult for friends to process.
Word of the deaths spread quickly through Milwaukie and the broader Portland metro area as local outlets confirmed the identities of the couple. Current city officials, former council members and residents took to community forums and private messaging groups to share memories and express disbelief.
For a city that prides itself on its small-town feel — with its historic downtown, riverside trails and locally owned shops — the loss of a former mayor under such tragic circumstances has hit especially hard. Several residents said they planned to organize an informal vigil in the coming days, though no official memorial had been announced.
Mental health advocates in Oregon used the moment to remind the public of the warning signs of domestic crisis and the resources available to those struggling. Experts have long noted that murder-suicides, while statistically rare, are devastating events that often leave families and communities searching for answers that may never fully come.
What Comes Next
The Los Angeles Police Department’s investigation remains active, and detectives are expected to interview family members, friends and anyone who may have had contact with the couple in the days leading up to the discovery.
In Milwaukie, city leaders have so far declined to issue extensive public statements, citing respect for the families involved and the ongoing investigation. Privately, however, current and former officials have begun the difficult work of grieving a colleague whose public service once shaped the trajectory of their city.
For now, the small Oregon community is left to grapple with a tragedy that began hundreds of miles away in California.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available 24 hours a day by calling or texting 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Resources for those experiencing domestic violence are available through the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
