Beverly Hills Murder: Chilling Conspiracy That Killed Wealthy Billionaire Widow, Violet Yacobi

The chilling death of Violet Yacobi, a widow known for her opulence and wealth, brought to light what many described as one of the most twisted murder plots. The 67-year-old lived alone in her grand Beverly Hills residence. She had recently finished mourning her husband and was eager to restart her social life.

On Oct. 10, 2017, concerned family members noticed that Violet was unusually inactive on the phone. When her son Daniel and daughter Dina rushed to check on her at the family’s $8 million residence, they found her lying dead in a peculiar spot beneath the grand staircase.

At the scene, police could not initially determine whether Violet’s death was caused by an accidental fall down the stairs or whether foul play was involved. Suspicion that the widow had taken her own life was dismissed after those close to her, including her children, said she belonged to a Jewish community in which self-harm was taboo.

However, the autopsy report from the medical examiner ultimately cleared up the uncertainty. It ruled her death a homicide, prompting police to launch a murder investigation. Because her two children were among the last people known to have seen her, they immediately came under suspicion.

During the investigation, Daniel gave contradictory statements regarding his alibi at the time of Violet’s death. He claimed to have been on his way to Inglewood from the time his mother stopped responding to calls.

There was also confusion over who, between him and his sister, performed CPR on their mother after they found her. Dina clearly stated that she administered CPR while her brother merely called police. Daniel, however, vaguely claimed that he also attempted life-saving efforts for his mother.

While investigators were confident that Daniel could have been the suspect, a lack of evidence initially allowed him to go free. Soon after, however, they uncovered stronger clues that pointed to Daniel as Violet’s killer.

Data from Daniel’s iPhone and Facebook account placed him at his mother’s house on the evening Violet was killed. Closed-circuit camera footage from neighbors also showed the 36-year-old moving around the property.

While Daniel, during the investigation, continued to claim that he had a loving relationship with his mother, their text conversation revealed a different story. In place of baby images that the son claimed to send his mother regularly, detectives found an image of a disclosure of Daniel’s poor finances.

Moreover, one of Daniel’s frantic calls in the middle of a police questioning to his sister made it apparent that he was worried about DNA traces. The conversation caught on camera shows him repeatedly asking Dina to testify that both of them administered CPR to their dead mother, while it was only her.

Putting all the clues together, the L.A. County Deputy District Attorney charged Daniel with first-degree murder of Violet Yacobi for financial gain. Prosecutors alleged that the man was the only one who would inherit nearly half of his mother’s $12 million estate.

The jury took one full day to find the true suspect, and it was nearly 8 years after Violet’s death that justice was delivered for her death. He faced life in prison without parole in a unanimous jury verdict announced on October 3, 2025.