SoCal couple slain; alleged fake Tom Selleck scam emerges

fake Tom – A Coachella Valley couple found dead last week in their Bermuda Dunes home had been the target of an alleged scam in which a person claimed to be actor Tom Selleck, according to a family friend. Riverside County sheriff’s homicide investigators are still probi

Around noon Friday, Riverside County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home of Donald Whitaker, 80, and his wife, Karen Whitaker, 79, after a neighbor requested a wellness check. Inside, deputies found the couple suffering from traumatic injuries. They were declared dead at the scene.

The investigation was taken up by the sheriff’s homicide unit. Riverside County officials said there were no updates on the active inquiry, and it remains unclear whether an alleged scheme involving a fake Tom Selleck has any connection to the deaths.

The couple lived in Bermuda Dunes, an exclusive unincorporated golf community just east of Palm Desert.

What has now come into view is the separate account—shared by a family friend—that Karen Whitaker may have been targeted for an extended period by someone claiming to be Tom Selleck. The longtime actor, most recently seen in CBS police drama “Blue Bloods,” was at the center of the alleged impersonation.

Joy Miedecke. described as a family friend and the president of the East Valley Republican Women Patriots. told a local station that a mysterious person claiming to be Selleck reached out to Karen Whitaker. Miedecke said that after Karen made a memorial post for a school friend on Facebook. the alleged impersonator used her phone number to text her.

Miedecke said the texts claimed the sender was Tom Selleck and suggested there was a personal connection—texting that they knew the girl Karen had posted about and even that they had dated her, creating what Miedecke described as “something in common.”

Miedecke told KESQ that the scheme evolved quickly. She said Karen began sending money through gift cards. The amounts started at $80 and later increased to larger sums, including $800. Miedecke said she alerted authorities to the potential fraud.

Eventually, Miedecke said, Karen’s family members acted to block further access. She said they destroyed credit cards and took away Karen’s access to her bank accounts.

Even so, Miedecke said the belief persisted. She told KESQ that someone associated with a person who works for Tom Selleck visited Karen to deliver a message that “Tom Selleck does not do this.” Miedecke said it did not matter—Karen “couldn’t stop believing it.”

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department did not comment on the scam claims. A call to a number listed for Miedecke was not immediately returned.

For investigators. the central question now is whether any of what happened in the months—or longer—around the alleged fraud overlaps with the circumstances that led to Donald and Karen Whitaker’s deaths. For the families and neighbors left to absorb both news at once. the timing is difficult to separate: a couple found dead from traumatic injuries after a wellness check. and an alleged impersonation story in which the victim’s money kept moving even after family members tried to intervene.

Riverside County Bermuda Dunes Coachella Valley homicide investigation Donald Whitaker Karen Whitaker Tom Selleck scam gift card fraud identity impersonation