Karen Whitaker, 79, and her husband Donald Whitaker, 80, were found dead in their Bermuda Dunes home after a neighbor requested a wellness check. Deputies discovered traumatic injuries, and the couple was pronounced dead at the scene. Homicide investigators are handling the case, and officials reported no updates on the active investigation. Reports say Karen had been communicating with a person claiming to be actor Tom Selleck for an extended period. A family friend said the scam began after Karen posted a memorial message on Facebook, after which the fraudulent Selleck texted her and claimed personal connections. The friend said Karen sent payments to the person posing as Selleck, and it remains unclear whether the alleged scam relates to the deaths.
"Karen Whitaker, 79, was discovered, along with 80-year-old husband Donald, in their Bermuda Dunes home. Authorities found the couple suffering from traumatic injuries. The Whitakers were declared dead at the scene. Sheriff's homicide investigators are looking into the case. Riverside County officials said there were no updates on the active investigation. It's not clear if the alleged scam had any connection to the deaths of the couple."
"A Coachella Valley ABC affiliate KESQ reported that family friend Joy Miedecke had said a mysterious person claiming to be Selleck, the longtime actor most recently seen in CBS police drama "Blue Bloods," had reached out to Karen Whitaker. Karen had made a memorial post about a school friend on Facebook. Shortly after, the fraudulent Selleck texted Whitaker, according to Miedecke, club president of the East Valley Republican Women Patriots, where the trio became friends."
""They found her phone number, and they text messaged her, and they said they were Tom Selleck," Miedecke told KESQ. "And that they knew this girl and had dated her - 'and now we have something in common.' And that started the whole thing.""
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