Dan Mulcahey, a Palm Springs man whose husband died under disputed circumstances in 2023, was found dead near the city last week after he was reported missing. His death has reopened questions about the earlier case, although investigators have not said the two deaths are connected. Mulcahey had spent years pressing for answers before his own death.
The 70-year-old was last seen Friday, July 24, in Rancho Mirage, and his vehicle was later found unoccupied in Desert Hot Springs, according to the Palm Springs Tribune. Police initially described him as critically missing because of a recent medical issue. His body was later found near the Desert Hot Springs area, with the Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau expected to determine the official cause and manner of death.
Mulcahey’s identity brought renewed attention to the death of his husband, Darrin Tharp, as reported by KESQ. Tharp died at home on April 15, 2023, and Mulcahey had questioned the initial conclusion that it was an accidental overdose. He pointed to a visitor sign-in sheet listing a person who arrived at Tharp’s home late that night, and a later coroner’s report identified that visitor as Hakan Isik.
The Earlier Case Remains Open
According to the coroner’s report reviewed by KESQ, Isik told investigators he had been with Tharp and called 911 after finding him unresponsive. The report listed acute methamphetamine intoxication as Tharp’s cause of death, with heart disease as a contributing factor, while the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation had been sent to prosecutors in December 2023 and returned for more work in January 2025.
Isik was separately arrested in May 2023 after Palm Springs police investigated reports from men who said they were sexually assaulted after meeting him through online dating apps. The Los Angeles Blade reported that the initial case included allegations involving drugging, sexual assault and false imprisonment.
By February 2024, Isik faced eight felony sexual-assault charges and four misdemeanor counts involving seven alleged victims, according to a KESQ report. He remains jailed awaiting trial, with his next court date scheduled for November 3 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.
Investigators Have Not Linked The Deaths
Prosecutors have said the sex-crimes case is moving forward and that a separate case tied to Tharp’s death could still be filed if investigators recommend additional charges. The sheriff’s department is also investigating Mulcahey’s death as suspicious, but authorities have not publicly said whether it is connected to either Tharp’s death or the allegations against Isik.
