Murder or Suicide? The Strange Death of Attorney Jeffrey Tidus

[Update: The death has been ruled a homicide. Read more here]The fatal shooting of prominent attorney Jeffrey Tidus continues to raise eyebrows as detectives investigate the case's mysterious circumstances. 53-year-old Tidus was found shot to death outside his Rolling Hills Estates home at around 8:30 on Monday morning. His wife claims he'd gone outside to retrieve his laptop from his blue Toyota Prius, but he did not return. The computer was spotted "on the lawn, with blood visible on the driveway," but the L.A. County Sheriff's Department revealed this morning that they "did not find a weapon at the scene," according to LA Now.

Initial speculation pointed to suicide, since the victim "was killed just hours after top executives at a firm Tidus represented, New Century Financial, were accused of fraud by federal regulators," notes the LA Weekly's crime blog. However with no weapon found nearby, such a possibility seems unlikely, but detectives have yet to proclaim the case a homicide.

Authorities are continuing to work to determine if his work did indeed play a role in his death. Sheriff's Lt. Dave Dolson also wanted to be sure Tidus' neighbors knew that his death "appears not to have been random," in order to allay fears that a crime wave was impending in the wealthy neighborhood. Those close to Tidus personally and professionally have said they don't believe the hard-working long-distance runner would take his own life, however some also aren't sure how any of his legal work would put him in such danger.