Grieving friend fears foul play as police investigate ‘suspicious death’ in Palm Springs

Nearly two weeks after police called a Palm Springs man's death "suspicious," a close friend is still searching for answers.

Palm Springs Police said the man's death was reported on June 1 at a residence on the 1600 block of E. Palm Canyon Drive. That's where John Cates made a chilling discovery two days later, inside the home of his best friend, 56-year-old Bill Owen.

"The house itself was a complete mess. But once I got upstairs to the bedroom, there was blood all over the bed, the walls, the floor. I've never seen anything like that. It looked like a crime scene," Cates said.

Cates had grown worried after Owen hadn't responded to his messages for several days. "I spoke to him on Monday, and was texting with him on Tuesday. I couldn't get a hold of him on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Saturday morning, I reached out to him, said, 'Hey, I'm coming over there, because I had a key, if you don't respond,' but he never did," Cates said.

In their initial June 2 release, police said they were actively working to determine the circumstances surrounding the death and whether it resulted from a criminal act. Thursday, a PSPD spokesperson confirmed the investigation was ongoing. No official identification of the deceased man has been released.

Cates is deeply concerned that his friend could have been murdered. "There's somebody out there. I have so many fears about it. I just want answers," he said.

Despite his attempts, Cates has been unable to speak with anyone from the Palm Springs Police Department regarding the case. "In every release that I saw, they wanted information. I may have information. I knew him very well, and nobody called me back," he said, frustrated by the lack of communication.

Cates described Owen as a great friend with whom he had future adventures planned. Now, those plans have been shattered, leaving behind a vacuum of information and a life cut short. The community is left with swirling questions about what truly happened – was it just a tragedy or something more sinister?

Police say evidence is still being processed, and new details will be publicly shared as it becomes available.

Anyone with information can contact the PSPD Investigations Division at (760) 323-8121. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through Crime Stoppers at 760) 347-7867.