Kim DePaola, a former cast member on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, reportedly finds herself caught in the middle of a double murder investigation.
Yes, you read that sentence correctly.
The ex-reality star is in this unexpected position after two bodies were found in a car owned by her that had been set on fire on Friday, multiple outlets have confirmed.
According to TMZ, an Audi registered to DePaola, yet mostly used by her son, Chris, was discovered horribly burned late last week… with two charred bodies inside of it in Paterson, New Jersey.
(No comment yet from the The Paterson Police Department regarding this scary incident.)
The victims have not been identified, but both were men and both were shot in the head, execution-style, authorities told NBC News.
One insider says the remains were so torched that investigators couldn’t even determine the race of the victims, nor could they determine the gender upon initial examination.
Authorities told NorthJersey.com that they were looking into the crime as a double murder.
“I can’t tell you why we are treating it as a homicide, but we are treating it as a homicide,” police Captain Richard Reyes has said on the record.
Neighbors, meanwhile, told NBC that they heard a pair of gunshots ring out prior to seeing the car go up in flames.
Firefighters were forced to cut open the roof of the car in order to pull the bodies out, per NBC reporting.
Details are still coming in, and we’ll relay them as soon as fresh news breaks, but TMZ adds that Chris was out of town after a friend dropped him off at the airport in the vehicle.
However, a source tells the website that this friend, Aaron Anderson, was not supposed to be driving the car around.
His parents tell NBC that they have not been in contact with Aaron since Friday, leaving them “concerned,” according to Anderson’s father.
“I’ve been calling him and it’s going to voicemail,” his mother told NBC. “I would have heard from him.”
No arrests have been made at this time; investigators are open to the possibility that drugs were involved in the crime/motive behind the crime.
DePoala appeared on The Real Housewives of New Jersey from 2010-2013.
She addressed the ordeal on Sunday, assuring social media followers that she and her son were safe.
“I am humbled by the outpour of love and support during this very difficult time,” DePoala wrote in a Notes screenshot on Instagram, adding:
“My son and I are both safe. Our deepest condolences of out to the victims’ families of this truly horrific tragedy.”
What an odd and frightening and seemingly tragic situation.
We’ll keep readers apprised as more information is made available to the public.