Elderly Couple Found Dead After Tom Selleck Scam

A California couple’s quiet retirement ended in horror after deputies found them dead inside their home — and now a close friend says the tragedy came after the wife was allegedly drained by a cruel scammer pretending to be Tom Selleck.

Karen Whitaker, 79, and her husband, Donald Whitaker, 80, were discovered dead on Friday, May 15, after deputies were sent to their Bermuda Dunes home for a welfare check, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office.

When deputies arrived at the house on Montego Bay Drive just before noon, they found the elderly couple with traumatic injuries. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities say evidence points to a murder-suicide, though they have not publicly said who they believe was responsible. Homicide investigators are still working the case and said a final ruling will come after a full investigation.

But behind the grim discovery, a longtime friend says, was another devastating story.

Joy Miedecke, 81, told PEOPLE that Karen had been caught up in a bizarre and heartbreaking scam involving someone pretending to be beloved “Blue Bloods” star Tom Selleck.

According to Miedecke, Karen had been communicating with a scammer — or possibly multiple scammers — who convinced her she was dealing with the real Hollywood actor.

“She thought it was really Tom Selleck,” Miedecke said. “Nobody could stop her.”

The alleged scheme reportedly began last summer after Karen posted on Facebook about a friend who had died. Miedecke says the scammer appeared to use details from Karen’s social media profile to gain her trust.

At first, the requests seemed small.

Miedecke said the person claimed there would be an event in the desert and told Karen she could be first on the list if she sent $80.

But the demands allegedly grew from there.

What began as a small request eventually spiraled into thousands of dollars, despite friends begging Karen to stop. Miedecke said they repeatedly warned her that she was being conned.

Karen, however, allegedly refused to believe it.

Miedecke said she believes Karen may have been showing signs of early-stage dementia, making the situation even more frightening for those who cared about her.

Eventually, the alleged scam became impossible for Donald to ignore.

Miedecke said she reported the situation to authorities, and adult protective services workers later visited the Whitakers’ home. That was when Donald allegedly learned what had been happening.

After Donald and the couple’s adult children found out, they reportedly tried to cut off Karen’s access to the couple’s money.

“They cut up her credit cards and took her off of their accounts, but she still found ways to get money and send it to the scammer,” Miedecke said.

She estimated Karen sent at least $30,000, though the real number could be higher.

“We don’t know the final total,” she said.

Then, just one day before the couple was found dead, Miedecke said Karen asked friends for money again. This time, Karen allegedly claimed Selleck’s manager’s wife had died and that the manager did not have enough money.

For Donald, Miedecke said, it was unbearable.

“That was the last straw for Donald,” she said. “He was so embarrassed. He could not believe she would ask her friends to participate in this scam.”

According to Miedecke, Donald had struggled badly with the financial loss and his inability to convince Karen she had been tricked.

“He had said a couple of times to friends that he didn’t know how to handle this and he couldn’t cope with it,” she said.

Even more chilling, Miedecke said Donald had talked about taking his own life. But she said he would also say he could not go through with it because he feared leaving Karen with access to their money.

He worried, Miedecke said, that she would send everything away and leave their adult son and daughter with nothing.

A spokesperson for the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE that the agency had previously taken a report of financial elder abuse involving the couple. The sheriff’s office declined to release more details because the investigation remains active.

Authorities also said there is no evidence at this time that the unknown person or people involved in the alleged financial abuse were directly involved in the couple’s deaths.

Still, Miedecke believes the damage caused by the alleged scam was devastating.

“The ramifications of someone stealing all of your money when you’re not capable of earning more money in your lifetime — look at what it causes,” she said.

She is now speaking out in hopes that other families will recognize the warning signs before it is too late.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to contact Central Homicide Investigator Hood at 951-955-2777 or Thermal Station Investigator Gutierrez at 760-863-8990.

For anyone experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233 or at thehotline.org.

Anyone struggling with suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, mental health challenges, substance use issues, or who just needs to talk can call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, 24 hours a day.