The wife of 'Tarzan' actor Ron Ely has been stabbed to death in their California home - before US police shot dead the couple's son who was suspected of carrying out the attack.

Valerie Lundeen Ely was found with multiple stab wounds at the property in Santa Barbara, known as 'Hope Ranch', after officers responded to a 911 call on Tuesday evening.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said it contacted Ely - who starred in the 1960s TV series 'Tarzan' - after arriving at the property and discovered his 62-year-old wife's body with multiple stab wounds inside the home.

The couple's son, Cameron Ely, was identified as the suspected killer.

Deputies searched the residence and surrounding area and found the 30-year-old outside the home.

In a statement, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said he "posed a threat" and four deputies fired their weapons at him in response, killing him.

"The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is conducting criminal, coroner’s, and administrative investigations of this incident," the office said.

Autopsies of both the victim and the suspect are pending.

While the condition of 81-year-old actor Ely has not been revealed.

He is best known for his portrayal of Tarzan in the US television series from 1966 to 1968, and for his lead performance in 1975 film 'Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze'.

His acting career also included roles in 1958 musical 'South Pacific' and TV shows 'Fantasy Island', 'Wonder Woman' and 'The Aquanauts'.

Ely retired from acting between 2001 and 2014, before returning to the small screen to play an Amish elder in the Lifetime film 'Expecting Amish'.

He and his wife Valerie, a former Miss Florida, had three children.

Additional reporting: IRN

Main image: A 1987 file photo shows former 'Tarzan' actor Ron Ely during an interview in Los Angeles | Image: Reed Saxon/AP/Press Association Images