Burial of Doctor Next to Wife He Killed Stirs Outrage

Last month's murder-suicide in Sherman Oaks, in which Dr. Alexander Michaelson shot his wife, Vera, and then turned the gun on himself, shocked family and friends.

The couple's two children, a boy and a girl, ages 5 and 7, were not at home during the killings, which occurred in the driveway of the Michaelsons' house in the 1500 block of Sherview Place in the Sherman Oaks hills.

Now, three weeks later, the fact that Alexander and Vera Michaelson are buried next to each other in a Costa Mesa cemetery is stirring raw emotions from some people who knew the couple.

A man who had great affection for Dr. Michaelson sent this email to Sherman Oaks Patch:

Hi Mr. Kriegel,

First, let me say that I am forever indebted to Dr. Alexander Michaelson for saving both of my sick, elderly parents many times over the past 5+ years. As their infectious disease specialist, Dr. Michaelson was a very bright, compassionate, dedicated, outstanding physician who always took the time to communicate with me about my parents' conditions and treatment plans.

However, if the official police version of his and his wife's deaths is accurate, then his actions during the murder-suicide are unquestionably abominable and sinful. He has destroyed two young medical professionals who had so much hope and healing to provide to a world full of pain, illness, and suffering. He has completely shocked and traumatized his two young and innocent orphans. And he has devastated all of the Michaelsons' friends and loved ones, who are struggling to fathom a seemingly senseless crime involving two who used to love each other very much.

Therefore, regardless of any grievances or suffering he may or may not have had in his marriage with Vera, his selfish, thoughtless, rageful and unfortunately irrevocable act was a despicable crime and should disqualify him for a side-by-side burial next to his wife.

I wonder what Vera would say about being buried right next to the man who allegedly murdered her execution style and stole from her the precious opportunity to live a life and love her children and family. I assume she would say that the eternal side-by-side burial with her alleged murderer is very disrespectful to her and her memory. I think too that the side-by-side burial is totally disrespectful to Vera. I mean, how can she ever rest in peace?

Vera's family reportedly wanted to bury her and Dr. Michaelson in this way "for the children." But when the children eventually grow up and learn all of the details of the horrible crime, how are they going to feel about the burial?

The side-by side burial is utterly offensive and sickening and is so disrespectful to Vera. How can Vera ever rest in peace lying side-by-side with the man who allegedly murdered her execution style.?

I pray for the Michelsons, their children, and their families.

Regards

[name withheld on request]

Similar sentiments were expressed at the Tarzana office building on Clark Street where Dr. Michaelson had his office.

"I think it's strange that they are buried together after what happened," said Gail Sample, manager of a medical office in the same building as Michaelson's office. She was also a friend of Dr. Michaelson.

"Would she want to be buried forever next to the man who killed her? I don't think so, not forever in eternity," added Sample.

"They were too young to have already bought a plot together, both in their 30s. Maybe it was the family's choice. Of course, it's nobody's business where they are buried, it's up to the family."

"They want a single place for the kids to be able to visit," said a man  who claimed to be close to the family but declined to give his name. "That's why they are buried next to each other," he said.

Queenie Phu, an employee at Harbor Lawn Mt.-Olive Memorial Park & Mortuary in Costa Mesa, told Sherman Oaks Patch that Dr. Michaelson's brother, who lives in Orange County, arranged the funeral and burial for both Alexander and Vera.

"Alexander's brother lost his wife several years ago, and his late wife is also buried in the Jewish section of the cemetery," Phu said.

"The funeral for the Michaelsons was extremely emotional, with both families grieving over the deaths of Alexander and Vera Michaelson. The headstones on the graves will not be finished for quite a while,"  Phu said.

The graves themselves are unmarked, but there were small bouquets of flowers on them this Saturday.

At Michaelson's office, his name is still on the door in gold lettering. Photographs of Alexander and Vera Michaelson are still posted on the front window, and next to it is a white paper with the words: "We love you so much."

Inside the office, receptionists said they did not want to discuss the incident. The doctors were unavailable for comment.

However, Sample said that Michaelson's doctor friends and colleagues have been going through what she called "the various stages of grief."

"First they were devastated by what happened. Then they got angry.  The doctor who had lunch with him almost every day told me he is still angry," she said.

At Tarzana Medical Center, where Michaelson was on the staff, a fund has been set up to contribute money to the children.

Both Michaelsons were Russian immigrants.

According to Vera Michaelson's Facebook page, she hailed from Minsk, Belarus, and earned degrees from Belarus State University of Technology and California State University, Northridge. She had just completed the dentistry master's program at Nova Southeastern University in south Florida.

According to the California Medical Board website, Alex Michaelson received his medical training at the Moscow Medical Stomatological Institute and changed his name from Alexandre D. Mihelson at some point after his California medical license was issued in 1998.

Alex Michaelson was board-certified in infectious diseases and internal medicine, according to the medical board website.  

Neighbors said the couple were found by one of the doctor's co-workers, who came to the residence to check on him after he abruptly left work the day of the killings, saying that he had an emergency.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives said that Michaelson killed his wife and then himself after being told that his wife wanted a divorce.

"These were two good people who ended up in a star-crossed situation: She wanted to leave him, and that led to this," LAPD Detective Robert Bubb told Sherman Oaks Patch.

"There's no way of knowing why a man would do what he did. There is no violence in his background," Bubb said.

Police received calls from people who suggested that because the Michaelsons were Russian immigrants that somehow the Russian mafia might be connected to the violence.

"There was nothing sinister here, no connection to the Russian mafia," Bubb said. "It was a case where a man was distraught because his wife was leaving him.