An elderly California couple was found dead this month in an apparent murder-suicide after the wife had spent months sending thousands of dollars to an online scammer posing as actor Tom Selleck.
Donald Whitaker, an 80-year-old retired dentist, and his wife, Karen Whitaker, 79, were found with traumatic injuries at their Bermuda Dunes home on May 15.
Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office were called to the home just before midnight to perform a welfare check. The couple was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not been clear on who they believe the perpetrator is and have only released their suspicion that the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. They also have not specified the nature of their fatal injuries.
'At this time, the Riverside Sheriff’s homicide investigators continue to investigate and exhaust all leads in this homicide. The evidence available suggests this was a murder-suicide. Homicide investigators are still actively investigating the incident and will complete a thorough investigation before releasing a final disposition,' the sheriff's office said in a statement on Thursday.
The sheriff's office declined to comment further, citing an ongoing investigation into the matter. It did confirm, however, that Karen had 'fallen victim to financial elder abuse.'
'Currently, there is no evidence to indicate that the unknown suspect(s) who were involved in the financial abuse are directly involved in the couple’s death,' the sheriff's office said.
Joy Miedecke, a longtime friend of the couple, told KTLA that Karen's first interaction with the scammer pretending to be the 'Blue Bloods' actor came after she made a post on Facebook about a friend who had recently died.
Donald and Karen Whitaker, 80 and 79, respectively, were found dead in their Bermuda Dunes home on May 15. The Riverside County Sheriff's Office is investigating their deaths as a murder-suicide
In the months leading up to the crime, Karen had been immersed in constant communication with a scammer who was claiming to be actor Tom Selleck. Over time, she had sent the person tens of thousands of dollars
An unknown person commented on Karen's post and began talking to her, gaining her trust by recalling information that was available on her Facebook page, Miedecke said.
The Selleck impersonator then made the first request for money - $80 so Karen could be first in line to meet him at a fictitious event out in the desert.
Initially, the scammer asked for small dollar amounts, usually in the form of gift cards. But as time went on, the person was demanding hundreds and eventually, thousands of dollars, Miedecke said.
Once the situation got out of hand, Miedecke and Karen's adult children tried their best to dissuade her from continuing to interact with this person.
Miedecke even called the sheriff's department, which led to multiple visits to Karen's home by adult protective services.
'She was living and breathing this part of her life, and they were constantly texting her. Every single day. Text after text. And people around her started noticing,' Miedecke said.
Karen was also suffering from the initial stages of dementia, according to her family. Adults with dementia are at a high risk of becoming victims of fraud and financial abuse, according to the Social Security Administration.
'She would not believe it,' Miedecke said. 'She thought it was really Tom Selleck.'
Joy Miedecke, a longtime friend of the couple, tried to intervene and stop Karen from sending money to the scammer. But Karen, who was in the beginning stages of dementia, really believed she was speaking to Tom Selleck
Pictured: The couple's home in Bermuda Dunes, where they spent their retirement
When Donald, her husband, found out about what had been going on, he and their adult children cut Karen off from her financial accounts.
'She still found ways to get money and send it to the scammer,' Miedecke said. 'We’re talking at least $30,000, if not more. We don’t know the final total.'
The FBI recently released an updated guide on how elderly people can be victimized for National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, which was on May 15, the day Donald and Karen were found dead.
Some common red flags include the scammer demanding secrecy or deploying a sense of extreme urgency.
Scammers will also often pose as law enforcement, either to scare their victim by claiming they'll be arrested or to demand cash or valuables.
The FBI, citing the insights of Special Agent Ron Miller, said the best way to avoid scams is to simply ignore unsolicited emails, phone calls or texts, especially from unknown numbers.