An elderly married couple was found dead with traumatic injuries in their Bermuda Dunes, California home on May 15, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

The victims have been identified as Donald and Karen Whitaker. The couple was discovered inside their residence in the desert community located in Riverside County.

According to a friend of the family, Karen Whitaker may have been targeted by an online scammer posing as actor Tom Selleck prior to the couple's deaths. The friend indicated that the wife had been communicating with someone she believed to be the television and film actor.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is investigating the deaths, though authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the incident or confirmed any connection between the alleged online scam and the couple's deaths.

Bermuda Dunes is a small desert community in the Coachella Valley, located southeast of Palm Springs. The investigation into the deaths remains ongoing.