Nonprofit Executive Received Ominous Letter Prior to Being Discovered Deceased with Spouse

A well-known nonprofit leader, devoted to combating crime and fostering economic development in Santa Monica, was discovered dead in his residence this week alongside his wife.

Jeremy Ferguson, who held the position of director of operations at Downtown Santa Monica Inc., and his 49-year-old wife, Mandy Zelinka, both succumbed to gunshot injuries, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The authorities are treating the incident at their Venice home as a murder-suicide, as confirmed by the LAPD.

The LAPD responded to a report of a shooting on the 600 block of Superba Avenue at 10:50 a.m. on Tuesday, according to coverage by the LA Times.

While the investigation is ongoing, police revealed that Ferguson had sent a suicide note via email to a friend, which included details on how to access the home, as reported by NBC Los Angeles.

That friend then went to the home, stumbled upon what happened, and called the police. 

Debbie Lee, the chief executive of Downtown Santa Monica, said in a statement on Wednesday that employees are heartbroken over the death of Ferguson.

‘Jeremy was a cherished member of our team and a true champion for Downtown Santa Monica,’ she said. ‘His passion for placemaking and the dedication he brought to his work each day made a lasting impact. He will be deeply missed.’

Jeremy Ferguson, the director of operations at Downtown Santa Monica, a nonprofit economic development organization for the city, was found dead along with his wife in their Venice home on Tuesday

Ferguson and his wife, 49-year-old Mandy Zelinka, were found with fatal gunshot wounds. Ferguson left a suicide note to his friend, according to the Los Angeles Police Department

Jowanda Dziesinski, who runs a pedicab tour business in Santa Monica, knew both Ferguson and Zelinka, telling the California Post that the couple helped foster art, culture and business in the area after moving there about three years ago.

‘I’m in total shock. It just doesn’t line up for me. He was just full of future projects,’ Dziesinski said. ‘I feel shocked and am upset on a personal level. And I also feel disbelief about the scenario that’s being presented. It doesn’t make sense.’

Downtown Santa Monica is a nonprofit that works with the city to create economic stability and put on community events in the downtown district.

It is funded through property assessments, the business license tax, city contracts and revenue from events.

The couple was well known and respected in the Santa Monica community

Ferguson spent about six years as mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon, a Portland suburb. He also worked at TriMet, Portland’s public transportation agency

Ferguson, who had 25 years of public sector and transit experience, redesigned Santa Monica’s annual holiday ice-skating rink and also helped start the city’s first outdoor roller-skating rink, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.

Before joining the nonprofit, he served as mayor of Milwaukie, Oregon – a Portland suburb – from 2009 until his resignation in February 2015. 

He also spent 17 years working at TriMet, Portland’s public transportation agency. He started out as a bus driver and rose to a customer information manager.

Zelinka, while the couple lived in Portland, was known as a hairstylist and entrepreneur. She also co-founded a salon in the Pearl District and was named one of the city’s top hairstylists in 2016, according to KOIN 6.