Riverside Deputies Probe 2 Whitaker Deaths as Murder-Suicide After Tom Selleck Scam
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 26
Riverside Deputies Probe 2 Whitaker Deaths as Murder-Suicide After Tom Selleck Scam
5 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 26
Riverside County sheriff's investigators said the May 15 deaths of Donald Whitaker, 80, and Karen Whitaker, 79, are being treated as a murder-suicide after the couple were found dead in their California home.
Karen Whitaker had been a victim of financial elder abuse, and a family friend said someone posing as Tom Selleck conned her out of hundreds of dollars in a romance scam.
Sheriff's officials said there is no evidence the unknown scam suspect or suspects were directly involved in the couple's deaths, and they added there is no threat to the public.
The case remains an active homicide investigation, with authorities saying they are pursuing all leads before issuing a final disposition.
How does the shame from an online scam escalate into a real-world murder-suicide tragedy?
When a scam leads to death, where is the legal line between financial fraud and homicide?
Are tech platforms and lax laws complicit when online elder fraud turns fatal?