JO MORELAND

Staff Writer

ESCONDIDO -- An Escondido woman said Thursday that her son had become involved with drugs before he allegedly killed her husband and then himself.

Perry B. Kiefer, 41, died Wednesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a North Hollywood service station at the end of a four-hour Los Angeles police SWAT action, authorities said.

San Diego County sheriff's homicide detectives had identified Kiefer as the suspect in the shooting slaying of his stepfather, Dwight Albert Zink, 72. Zink's body was found Sunday at the rural Escondido home he shared with his wife of 25 years, Peggy Kiefer.

"Perry Kiefer was an extremely talented artist and musician who recently lost his job in his chosen field of animation," Peggy Kiefer said. "He took a troubled turn toward drugs."

She described her slain husband as a kind, gentle man who was still working as a construction claims consultant and was very respected in his field.

"Perry was not estranged at all from his family, who were trying to help him get on his feet," Peggy Kiefer said. "We do not know what could have transpired to make all this happen. We ask for your thoughts and prayers."

She said her son wasn't a transient, as some people had described him.

"He was not estranged from any of us, but drugs make you do terrible things," said Peggy Kiefer.

About 25 people attended a candlelight service Thursday marking the death of Zink and his stepson. It was held by DOVE -- Dreaming Of a Violence-free Escondido -- at the First United Methodist Church.

"We hope to reduce the possibility of violence, so that we don't have to gather again," said the Rev. Earl Guy.

As sheriff's homicide detectives continued their investigation Thursday, Peggy Kiefer -- her voice breaking -- said her family wants to know if the handgun her son used to kill himself was the same one used to kill her husband.

Sheriff's Sgt. Don Crist said that hadn't been determined, pending ballistics tests.

There are no other suspects, although Perry Kiefer "tried to throw us off with some other suggestions," Crist said.

"We'll look at a couple of the suggestions he made, but we're not looking at anybody else (as a suspect)," said the sergeant.

Some of Zink's items were stolen from his home, in addition to his car, and they have been recovered, Crist said. He declined to say what they were.

The sergeant said detectives now have a possible motive for the slaying, but they want to confirm it before saying anything.

"What is really distressing is that we had to see this happen on television," Peggy Kiefer said about her son's death Wednesday. "That is a terrible thing to do to the family."

Sheriff's homicide detectives had said they would notify her of any break in the case, she said.

"As soon as I got word and could get to them (Kiefer's family), we did call," Crist said.

He said sheriff's homicide investigators had been randomly checking former addresses where Perry Kiefer had stayed in Los Angeles and Orange and Ventura counties when Detectives Rick Empson and Bill Donahue found the suspect in Zink's car near a North Hollywood residence.

When one of the detectives approached the car, Kiefer got into it and drove away, Crist said. He said once the detectives had Kiefer stopped at gunpoint as they identified themselves, but he began to reach under the driver's seat for something, got back in the car and drove to the gas station.

Contact staff writer Jo Moreland at (760) 901-4085 or jmoreland@nctimes.com.

7/6/01