Prosecutors allege Vicky Kim used a flagpole, while court records show several earlier domestic-violence cases involving the same husband.
PALM DESERT, Calif. — A 65-year-old Palm Desert woman has been charged with murder in the death of her husband after authorities found him fatally injured at their condominium community Sept. 4, according to law enforcement and court records.
Vicky Kim is accused of killing her husband with a flagpole, according to the felony complaint cited by local news organizations. The case has also drawn attention to a series of earlier domestic-violence cases involving the couple and protective orders that prosecutors say were later terminated. Kim’s arraignment was postponed after a judge said she had not been medically cleared to appear and is now scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14, at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies were called to the 35000 block of Gateway Drive at 9:47 a.m. Sept. 4 for what the department described as an “unknown trouble” call. Deputies found a person with traumatic injuries consistent with a physical assault, and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene. The Riverside Sheriff’s Central Homicide Unit took over the investigation. Kim, who was at the scene, was arrested without incident and initially booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of murder.
The Sheriff’s Office has not publicly released the victim’s full name or age, saying his identity was being withheld pending notification of relatives. The murder complaint identifies him only as R. Kaufman, according to court records reviewed by local news outlets. Prosecutors allege Kim used a flagpole as a deadly and dangerous weapon and personally inflicted great bodily injury. Authorities have not publicly described what led to the fatal confrontation, and the homicide investigation remains open.
Court records obtained by KESQ-TV show prosecutors filed five domestic-violence cases against Kim between October 2025 and January 2026, involving alleged conduct that began in September 2025. The cases included allegations of spousal battery, corporal injury, elder abuse and violations of protective orders. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office said the cases all involved Kim’s husband. Records reviewed by the station also listed six arrests between September 2025 and January 2026.
One of the earlier cases followed a January domestic-violence investigation in Palm Desert. According to a sheriff’s deputy’s sworn declaration cited by KESQ, Kim’s husband reported that she had struck him during an argument involving finances and allegations of infidelity. The declaration said a restraining order then in effect required Kim to remain 100 yards away from him. Kim also told the deputy she had struck her husband, according to the filing. A deputy sought an increase in bail from $60,000 to $500,000, citing the need to protect a domestic-violence victim, and court records show a judge approved the increase.
Prosecutors filed a felony corporal-injury charge against Kim on Jan. 22, along with misdemeanor allegations of elder abuse and violating a protective order, according to records reviewed by KESQ. A notation on the complaint indicates the felony count was changed to a misdemeanor the following day. The records cited by the station did not establish exactly when Kim was later released or when the protective orders ended.
The District Attorney’s Office has said it opposed how the earlier cases were resolved. Spokesperson Molly Smith said prosecutors had filed a felony case in January, obtained criminal protective orders and planned to pursue the case aggressively. She said a judge later resolved Kim’s cases as misdemeanors, released her from custody and ended the protective orders despite objections from prosecutors. The office has not publicly identified the judge involved in those decisions, and the prosecutor handling the murder case said she could not discuss details that could become evidence in future proceedings.
Prosecutors have asked that Kim be held without bail in the murder case, an issue expected to be addressed when she appears for arraignment. The criminal complaint notes that Kim could face a potential life sentence if convicted. A prosecutor told KESQ that no special circumstances have been alleged, meaning the case is not being pursued as a death-penalty case. The charges remain allegations, and Kim has not been convicted in connection with her husband’s death.
Kim was due to appear in court Friday, Sept. 11, but a judge said she had not been medically cleared to attend and continued the arraignment until 8:30 a.m. Monday. The court did not publicly disclose why she had not received medical clearance. As of the latest local report, Kim remained in custody at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. The Sheriff’s Office said investigators continue to seek information about the Sept. 4 death.