Investigators said evidence suggests murder-suicide, but the final finding has not been released.

BERMUDA DUNES, Calif. — Riverside County homicide investigators are reviewing the deaths of Donald Whitaker, 80, and Karen Whitaker, 79, after deputies found the couple dead May 15 inside their Bermuda Dunes home.

The case drew wider attention after sheriff’s officials said Karen Whitaker had been the victim of financial elder abuse before she died. Friends told local and national outlets that she had sent money for months to someone she believed was actor Tom Selleck. The sheriff’s office said evidence suggests the deaths were a murder-suicide, but investigators have not released a final disposition and have not said who was responsible for the fatal injuries.

Deputies from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station were sent to a residence in the 79000 block of Montego Bay Drive at 11:59 a.m. May 15 for a welfare check. When they arrived, they found Donald and Karen Whitaker inside with traumatic injuries. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies secured the home, and the Central Homicide Unit took over the investigation. The sheriff’s office later said investigators were working to exhaust all leads. “This is an active and ongoing investigation,” the agency said in its update.

The home sits in Bermuda Dunes, an unincorporated Coachella Valley community east of Palm Springs, where the couple lived in a country club setting. Sheriff’s officials first treated the deaths as a homicide investigation and said no arrests had been made. In a later update, they said available evidence pointed toward murder-suicide and that investigators did not believe there was a threat to the community. The agency did not release the cause of death, describe the injuries in detail or name any suspect. Officials also said no further information would be released while the investigation continued.

The financial-abuse thread came into public view through Joy Miedecke, a longtime friend of the couple. Miedecke said Karen Whitaker began communicating with someone online after she posted about the death of a friend. The person claimed to be Tom Selleck, the actor known for “Magnum, P.I.” and “Blue Bloods,” and said he had a connection to the deceased woman. Miedecke said the contact moved into steady messages and grew into a relationship Karen believed was real. “She thought it was really Tom Selleck,” Miedecke said. “Nobody could stop her.”

According to Miedecke, the requests for money began with smaller amounts and later grew. She said Karen Whitaker sent gift cards in sums that ranged from $80 to $800 before the losses reached thousands of dollars. Miedecke estimated the total was at least $30,000, though the final amount remains unknown. Friends and relatives tried to intervene. Miedecke said they told Karen it was a scam, contacted authorities and involved Adult Protective Services. She said Donald Whitaker and the couple’s adult children restricted Karen’s access to accounts after they learned what had happened, but Karen still found ways to send money.

The sheriff’s office confirmed it had taken a report of financial elder abuse before the couple was found dead. The agency said investigators had discovered Karen Whitaker had fallen victim to that abuse, but it also said there was no evidence that the unknown person or people involved in the financial abuse were directly involved in the deaths. That distinction has shaped the public record of the case. The scam is part of the timeline investigators have acknowledged, but the deaths remain under homicide review until detectives complete their work and release a final finding.

Miedecke described a painful struggle inside the couple’s circle before the deaths. She said Karen Whitaker stayed convinced the messages were genuine even after warnings from friends and family. She also said she believed Karen may have been showing signs of early cognitive decline, though authorities have not publicly confirmed that claim. Donald Whitaker, Miedecke said, was distressed by the financial loss and by his wife’s continuing belief in the person contacting her. “He was so embarrassed,” Miedecke said, describing his reaction when Karen asked friends for money connected to the reported scam.

The case now rests with Riverside County homicide detectives, who have asked people with information to contact Central Homicide Investigator Hood or Thermal Station Investigator Gutierrez. No arrests have been announced in connection with the deaths or the financial-abuse case. Investigators have not released a timetable for the final disposition. As of June 20, the official record still lists the case as active, with the deaths under review and the financial-abuse suspect or suspects unidentified.

Author note: Last updated June 20, 2026.