A 39-year-old transgender woman, legally named Robert Phillip Simmons but identifying as Elanor Beaulieu, faces murder charges after a dramatic seven-hour standoff at a $6.3 million oceanfront home in Hermosa Beach, California. Authorities discovered the decomposing body of 92-year-old retired property developer Demetrius Doukoullos inside the property, showing signs of trauma according to the medical examiner.
Family Reaction Across the Country
John Simmons, 37, from Kingston, Massachusetts, expressed shock upon learning of his sibling’s alleged involvement. He knows Beaulieu as his long-lost brother Robert and had lost contact years ago.
“I haven’t heard from Robert in years… I’m not even sure how many,” Simmons stated. “I have no idea what he’s been doing, I really can’t help you with that, I’m sorry.”
He was unaware of Beaulieu’s gender transition or the murder accusation. “I don’t know why he would do something like that,” he added, declining to discuss any history of mental illness or family details.
Suspect’s Background and Prior Issues
Beaulieu grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts, with family vacations in Tampa, Florida. After her father, Robert Simmons Sr., died in 2012, her mother Terese sold the family home and now lives nearby in Marshfield.
Beaulieu relocated to Fresno, California, purchasing a one-bedroom apartment for $83,000 in April 2021. She defaulted on the mortgage by early 2023, leading to foreclosure. Compass Homes bought it for $57,000 and sued her for refusing to vacate; she surrendered the property on August 16, 2023.
Records show a February 2025 arrest in Los Angeles for second-degree robbery, released the next day with charges dropped. On February 23, 2026, Redondo Beach police cited her for shoplifting.
Victim’s Prominent Career
Demetrius Doukoullos developed luxury oceanfront properties in Hermosa and Manhattan Beach for decades. His standout project, a 7,000-square-foot home, sold for a record $19.5 million in 2023 to veterinary chain executive Greg Hartmann. Another set a prior record at $18.4 million in 2017 after a $9.9 million rebuild.
He also built a nearby home sold to Rockstar Energy Drink founder Russell Weiner for $14 million in 2020. After his wife Fredda’s death in 2012, Doukoullos sold his four-bedroom home for $7.5 million in 2023 and rented a two-bedroom unit in a $6.3 million building for $6,900 monthly from landlord Neil Chhabria.
Chhabria described their relationship as strictly business. “Demetrius was very active despite his age, and was still driving,” he said. “He probably built more homes on the Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach Strand than anyone else.”
Discovery and Dramatic Arrest
Neighbors on The Strand noticed Doukoullos missing for weeks, with blinds closed and a stranger—a man in a suit and fedora—entering the home. An upstairs neighbor reported a foul odor and suspicious activity to Chhabria’s office last Saturday.
Hermosa Beach police conducted a welfare check at 12:37 p.m. “The reporting party stated that a tenant who lives alone had not been heard from in several days,” officials noted. With landlord access, they found someone inside not matching the resident’s description.
Officers saw a woman flee to a bedroom, barricade herself, and claim she was armed. After hours of phone negotiations and SWAT deployment, she surrendered around 7:45 p.m., emerging in a black suit, white shirt, black tie, trilby hat, and Wayfarer sunglasses reminiscent of Blues Brothers characters.
Beaulieu appeared in court on April 2, remanded to Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail on $2 million bond. The timeline places the alleged murder between March 7 and 14; any relationship with Doukoullos remains unclear.
