Couple found dead in Coachella Valley home may have been scammed by a fake Tom Selleck

BERMUDA DUNES, Calif. (KABC) -- Riverside County authorities are investigating a double homicide involving a wife and husband who were found dead in their Coachella Valley home, and a friend believes the couple was murdered after being scammed by a man claiming to be actor Tom Selleck.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said 79-year-old Karen Whitaker and her husband, 80-year-old Donald Whitaker, were found dead last Friday in their home in Bermuda Dunes.

The friend believes Karen Whitaker may have been communicating with someone online who was pretending to be the actor. According to the friend, the interaction began with text messages and evolved into what appeared to be a close relationship.

"They text messaged her, and they said they were Tom Selleck - and that they knew this girl and had dated her and now we have something in common and that started the whole thing," said Joy Miedecke. "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."

The friend said Karen Whitaker initially sent small amounts of money that escalated into thousands of dollars over time. Concerned about the situation, friends contacted law enforcement in the days leading up to the couple's deaths.

"Realizing that this is happening to a friend of theirs or a neighbor or a relative .. and they've got to stop this," said Miedecke.

Investigators have not publicly identified any suspects and are continuing efforts to determine who may have been involved and whether the deaths are directly tied to the suspected scam.

Eyewitness News reached out to Selleck's publicist. There is no evidence that Selleck had any knowledge of the incident.