[UPDATED with Gunshot Likely Killed Him:] Christopher Jordan Dorner was the Man in Burned-Down Cabin: Coroner

See the update at the bottom of page 2 on the belief that a single gunshot killed the suspect, the San Bernardino County sheriff defending his deputies and the latest on the reward.

ORIGINAL POST, FEB. 14, 10:56 A.M.: Had Christopher Jordan Dorner lived and been taken into custody, the Orange County district attorney's office (OCDA) would have sought the death penalty against him for the murders of Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence in Irvine two Sundays ago, according to a joint statement issued this morning by the OCDA and Irvine Police Department (IPD).

Both agencies vowed to continue their investigation and release a report at an undisclosed date with the findings.

What devolved into a national nightmare began when the bodies of the engaged Quan and Lawrence were found shot to death in the parking structure of their Irvine condo complex. Quan was the daughter of an LAPD captain and the lawyer the police union retained to defend Dorner in the disciplinary process that led to his firing. Dorner's infamous manifesto posted online a day after the grisly discovery accuses Randal Quan of protecting the LAPD's interests over his.

"Between Feb. 3, 2013, and the present, the OCDA and IPD have prepared, reviewed and executed multiple search warrants related to the investigation, including the defendant's social-networking pages, residences and cell phones," reads today's statement. "On Feb. 6, 2013, the OCDA provided legal analysis and investigation strategy and signed an arrest warrant, prepared by IPD. The arrest warrant was signed by the court authorizing the arrest of Dorner for the murders of Quan and Lawrence.

"Extensive evidence was gathered by IPD and other law-enforcement agencies, and the OCDA prepared a criminal complaint against Dorner on Feb. 8, 2013, after determining that he would be proven guilty of the murders of Quan and Lawrence.

"The criminal complaint against Dorner included two felony counts of murder with special-circumstance allegations for lying in wait and for committing multiple murders, and an additional sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death. These charges carry a minimum sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole. The OCDA would likely have sought the death penalty in this case.

"In the interest of public safety, and for tactical and investigative purposes, the OCDA made the legal determination to wait to file the criminal charges against Dorner until he was arrested and taken into custody. This decision was reviewed and discussed daily, and the OCDA was prepared to file a case against the defendant on a moment's notice should he have been apprehended or new developments in the case deemed it appropriate.

"From the date of the murders of Quan and Lawrence, IPD and the OCDA have been in constant communication and have been working together on the investigation and legal review. The investigation and legal review are ongoing, and a report will be issued and made available to the media and public upon completion of the investigation."

Nancy Dorner, the mother of Chris Dorner, released a statement on behalf of her family:

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we express our deepest sympathies and condolences to anyone that suffered losses or injuries resulting from Christopher's actions. We do not condone Christopher's actions. The family has no further comment and asks that our privacy be respected during this difficult time.

The La Palma resident, who has been cooperating with police investigators, was seen drinking white wine and eating chips and salsa Tuesday afternoon at her neighborhood La Capilla Mexican Restaurant, at a table in front of a big screen showing live coverage of a Big Bear-area cabin being incinerated with her son presumably inside.