The Palm Springs Murder Mystery: True Crime Podcast Exposes Cliff Lambert's Disappearance
In March 2025, the podcast "American Hustlers" continues to unravel the disturbing case of CliffzLambert, a 74-year-old Palm Springs resident who mysteriously disappeared in December 2008. The investigation reveals a complex web of deception orchestrated by Kosal Narula and Danny Garcia, who targeted Lambert after identifying him as a wealthy mark. What began as casual visits from Danny to Cliff's home eventually evolved into a sinister plot when Kosal became involved.
The podcast explores how these con artists operated, including Kosal's earlier attempts to manipulate Mark Evans, a contractor from Saratoga. After ingratiating himself with Evans through fabricated stories, Kosal later appeared with notarized power of attorney documents for Cliff Lambert's home, claiming Lambert had given him the property as compensation for alleged misconduct. This transaction raised immediate suspicions, especially when Evans discovered Lambert was reported as a missing person, revealing just how far the grifters would go in their elaborate schemes.
Key Takeaways
Cliff Lambert disappeared in December 2008 after becoming entangled with con artists Kosal Narula and Danny Garcia who targeted him for his wealth.
The perpetrators obtained power of attorney for Lambert's property through deception, attempting to sell his home shortly after his disappearance.
The scheme involved multiple accomplices and elaborate planning, including intentions to transport the victim to Mexico following the forced signing of documents.
Disclaimer And Content Warning
This material contains graphic violent and sexually explicit content which may be distressing to some individuals. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
The information presented is based on extensive research, public records, and participant interviews. All subjects discussed should be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
In certain instances, names have been altered to protect individuals' privacy. The events described include:
Murder
Financial exploitation
Manipulation of vulnerable individuals
Sexual allegations
HIV-related stigmatization
The narrative follows criminal activities across multiple locations, including California and Mexico, involving coordinated schemes to defraud victims through dating apps, false identity claims, and forged legal documents.
This content does not promote or endorse any criminal behavior and is presented for informational purposes only.
Recap Of Previous Events
The investigation into kosal narula and Danny Garcia, known as the gay grifters, eventually led to the murder of 74-year-old Cliff Lambert. After his divorce, Cliff had begun using dating apps, which is how he connected with Danny Garcia. Though no romantic relationship developed, Danny stayed at Cliff's house periodically and began taking money from him.
When kosal learned about this wealthy potential target with luxury cars, he quickly set his sights on Cliff. The timeline became clear: kosal and Cliff had dinner together on December 4, 2008, and just two days later, Cliff disappeared. He remains missing to this day.
In early 2007, Mark Evans, a contractor in Saratoga, California, received an unexpected visit from kosal narula. kosal claimed to have information about a contract dispute Mark was involved in with Steven Valentino, kosal's former roommate. Despite offering to help with the lawsuit, kosal demanded $250,000 for his assistance - an offer Mark immediately refused.
Though Mark didn't believe kosal's story, he felt sorry for him and allowed him to stay in his guest house for about four months. kosal impressed people with his calm, kind manner that easily endeared him to others.
Months later, in mid-December 2008, kosal reappeared at Mark's home with attorney David replogle. He asked Mark to sell a property for him, claiming it belonged to a man named Cliff Lambert who had allegedly molested him and given him HIV. According to kosal, Cliff had given him the property to make amends.
Mark was suspicious and asked to review the documents, which included notarized power of attorney forms and the title to Cliff's Palm Springs home. When Mark's wife, who worked at a real estate title company, investigated the situation, she discovered something alarming: Cliff Lambert was listed as a missing person.
The plan, as investigators later learned, was to kidnap Cliff, force him to sign power of attorney documents, and then take him to Mexico. Danny and David replogle had contacts in Puerto Vallarta from a previous scheme. Since kosal was already under police surveillance, they needed someone else from their network to be the safe recipient of Cliff's property.
Transcript 2: The Transcript Continues with Russell Manning
Profile of Cliff Lambert
Early Life and Character
Cliff Lambert was a 74-year-old man known for his warm personality and sociable nature. He genuinely enjoyed connecting with all types of people and had built a wonderful life for himself. As a homeowner in Palm Springs, Cliff possessed valuable assets including luxury vehicles like a Rolls-Royce and a Mercedes, indicating his financial success.
Online Dating Experience
Following his divorce from his partner, Cliff entered the world of online dating apps, a common path for newly single individuals. Through these platforms, he connected with Danny Garcia, who began visiting Cliff's home regularly. While no romantic relationship developed between them, Danny maintained contact and stayed at Cliff's residence periodically. During these visits, Danny quietly began taking money from Cliff, establishing a pattern of financial exploitation.
The Tragic Exploitation
Danny's conversations about Cliff caught the attention of Kosal Narula, who recognized a potential opportunity upon hearing about Cliff's wealth. By early December 2008, Kosal had arranged to meet Cliff for dinner on December 4th. Just two days after this meeting, Cliff disappeared without a trace. When Cliff failed to show up for planned gatherings with friends, they immediately sensed something was wrong.
The exploitation escalated dramatically when Kosal later appeared with a notarized power of attorney document and the title to Cliff's Palm Springs home. The perpetrators had devised a plan to force Cliff to sign over power of attorney, with intentions to take him to Mexico afterward. To appear less suspicious, they avoided putting the property directly in Kosal's name since he was already under police surveillance for previous schemes.
This case represented a devastating escalation in the group's criminal activities—while their previous victims lost money, Cliff Lambert lost much more.
Investigation Into Cliff's Disappearance
Initial Concerns
The disappearance of 74-year-old Cliff Lambert in December 2008 raised immediate alarms among his close friends. When Cliff failed to show up for planned social gatherings in early December, those who knew him well became worried. This wasn't typical behavior for the sociable retiree who, according to friends, "loved people - all types of people."
The timeline became critical in understanding what happened. On December 4, 2008, Cliff had dinner with Kosal Nurula for the first time. Just two days later, Cliff vanished without a trace. His friends' intuition that something terrible had occurred would unfortunately prove correct.
Cliff's Recent Activities
Following his divorce, Cliff had begun exploring dating apps - a common path for newly single individuals. Through these platforms, he met Danny Garcia and mentioned to his friend Carl, "I met these guys on the internet." While no romantic relationship developed with Danny, their connection established a troubling pattern.
Danny began staying at Cliff's Palm Springs home periodically and was secretly taking money during these visits. When Kosal Nurula learned about Cliff from Danny, he immediately recognized a potential target. Cliff's lifestyle indicators - including ownership of luxury vehicles like a Rolls-Royce and a Mercedes - made him particularly attractive to the pair who "saw dollar signs" when evaluating potential victims.
Associates' Suspicious Behavior
After Cliff's disappearance, suspicious activities involving his property began to surface. In mid-December 2008, Kosal approached real estate professional Mark Evans with an extraordinary request to sell Cliff's home. Kosal presented notarized power of attorney documents and claimed ownership of the property, explaining that Cliff had given him the house as compensation for alleged molestation and transmission of HIV.
Mark's instincts told him something was wrong with this arrangement. When his wife, who worked at a title company, investigated the documents, she quickly discovered that Cliff had been reported as a missing person. This revelation confirmed Mark's suspicions that the power of attorney might have been obtained through nefarious means.
Evidence later suggested an elaborate plan had been formed to:
Kidnap Cliff
Force him to sign power of attorney documents
Transport him to Mexico, where Danny and David Replogle had previous connections
Transfer his assets to others in their network
This planned route to Mexico wasn't random - it leveraged existing contacts from previous schemes involving Thomas White in Puerto Vallarta.
Kosal Nurula's Pattern of Deception
Throughout 2008, Kosal displayed a clear pattern of deceptive behavior with multiple individuals. Investigators noted his calculated approach to gaining trust. He presented himself as:
Clean-cut and well-educated
Calm and kind in demeanor
Someone who "endeared himself to people easily"
These traits allowed him to move between victims, staying with various hosts including Steven Valentino, Mark Evans, and others before targeting Cliff Lambert in what would become his most serious crime.
Kosal Narula's First Meeting with Mark Evans
An Unexpected Visitor
In early 2007, Mark Evans was working as a contractor and realtor in Saratoga, California when he received an unexpected knock at his door. Standing before him was a well-groomed, articulate young man who introduced himself as Kosal Narula. Mark noted how polished Kosal appeared—clean-cut, neatly dressed, and seemingly well-educated. This first impression would soon be tested as their interaction unfolded.
The Property Disagreement
Kosal explained that he had valuable information about Mark's ongoing contract dispute with Steven Valentino, a former client. The disagreement centered around a $350,000 remodeling project for Valentino's mother's home, which included adding a master bedroom suite on the ground floor. Mark had prepared what he believed was legitimate paperwork, which Valentino's mother had signed. However, Valentino later refused payment, claiming his elderly mother lacked the mental capacity to approve such contracts.
Kosal's Proposed Deal
Kosal revealed he had been Steven Valentino's roommate and claimed Valentino had wronged him as well. He offered to provide inside information that would help Mark win his lawsuit, but his assistance came with a significant price tag: $250,000. Mark immediately declined this proposal for two reasons—he didn't need the assistance, and paying for such information would compromise his legal position in the lawsuit.
When Mark refused payment, Kosal pivoted, mentioning he had nowhere to stay. Despite his suspicions about Kosal's true motives, Mark offered him temporary accommodation in his guest quarters. Although Mark, with 49 years of business experience, doubted Kosal's story, he felt compassion for the young man and hoped to provide positive guidance. Kosal stayed with Mark for approximately four months before departing without much explanation—a pattern he had repeated with previous hosts.
The relationship between Mark and Kosal would resume in mid-December 2008 under even more troubling circumstances.
Exploring Kosal's Deceitful Actions
False Claims Against Cliff
Kosal's pattern of deception reached disturbing heights in his relationship with Cliff Lambert. After Cliff went missing in December 2008, Kosal wove an elaborate fiction about their connection. He claimed to real estate professional Mark Evans that Cliff had not only sexually assaulted him but also infected him with HIV. According to Kosal, Cliff had transferred ownership of his Palm Springs home as compensation for these alleged wrongs.
This fabricated story emerged when Kosal unexpectedly appeared at Mark's door in mid-December 2008, accompanied by attorney David Replogle. Kosal urgently requested Mark's assistance in selling the property, emphasizing his desire to "get his money out of it" quickly.
Mark, who had previous experience with Kosal's dishonesty, immediately recognized suspicious elements in this narrative. The timing was particularly notable - Cliff had disappeared just days after his first dinner with Kosal on December 4th.
Attempt To Sell Cliff's Property
With calculated precision, Kosal presented Mark with what appeared to be legitimate documentation: notarized power of attorney papers and the title to Cliff Lambert's Palm Springs residence. These documents were crucial components in Kosal's scheme to liquidate Cliff's valuable property and disappear with the proceeds.
Mark's instincts prompted him to verify the legitimacy of these papers. He contacted his then-wife, who worked at a real estate title company, asking her to investigate the documentation. Her findings were alarming: "This guy is a missing person. This is not good."
The power of attorney documents were obtained through a horrifying plan. Kosal, Danny, and David Replogle had kidnapped Cliff and forced him to sign over legal authority of his affairs. Their intention was to then transport him to Mexico, specifically Puerto Vallarta, where Danny and David had established connections through previous fraudulent activities.
Kosal deliberately avoided having Cliff sign the property directly to him since he was already under police surveillance for previous cons. Instead, the conspirators sought another member of their network to serve as the nominal property recipient, ultimately approaching Russell Manning with this "business proposal."
This complex scheme demonstrated the calculated nature of Kosal's deceptions, moving beyond financial fraud to violent criminal activity with tragic consequences for Cliff Lambert.
The Criminal Ring Behind Lambert's Disappearance
Danny Garcia's Network Involvement
Danny Garcia first entered Cliff Lambert's life through a dating app. Though no romantic relationship developed, Danny established a pattern of visiting Lambert's home and secretly taking money during his stays. Danny recognized Lambert as a wealthy individual who owned luxury vehicles like a Rolls-Royce and Mercedes. This financial profile made Lambert an attractive target for exploitation.
Upon learning about Lambert's wealth, Danny shared this information with his associates. The group quickly identified Lambert as a promising mark for their schemes. Their interest in Lambert was purely financial—they saw him merely as a source of money rather than as a person.
David Replogle's Legal Maneuvers
David Replogle entered the picture as the "attorney" who accompanied Kosal Narula when approaching Mark Evans about selling Lambert's property. As a lawyer, Replogle provided a veneer of legitimacy to their fraudulent activities.
The pair presented notarized power of attorney documents to Evans, claiming Lambert had willingly signed over his property. Their fabricated story alleged that Lambert had molested Narula and infected him with HIV, supposedly leading Lambert to transfer his house as compensation.
Key Evidence:
Notarized power of attorney documents
Property title to Lambert's Palm Springs home
Legal paperwork prepared to facilitate property sale
Russell Manning's Supporting Role
Russell Manning, Narula's former romantic partner, became involved when Narula needed someone less suspicious to receive Lambert's assets. With Narula already under scrutiny from police and immigration authorities for previous schemes, the group needed a "safer" name to put on legal documents.
Manning had previously worked at an art gallery and had participated in the Gary Heidenreich art scheme. His prior involvement in their fraudulent activities made him a trusted participant in this new criminal enterprise.
The conspirators planned to:
Kidnap Lambert
Force him to sign power of attorney documents
Transport him to Mexico, utilizing contacts in Puerto Vallarta
Sell his assets through seemingly legitimate channels
Manning's role provided an additional layer of separation between the crime and its primary architects, helping to obscure the true nature of their activities.
The Planned Kidnapping of Cliff Lambert
In December 2008, the 74-year-old Palm Springs resident Cliff Lambert disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Before his disappearance, Lambert had been using dating apps following his divorce from his partner. Through these platforms, he connected with Danny Garcia, who began visiting Lambert's home regularly.
Although no romantic relationship developed between Lambert and Garcia, the latter took advantage of these visits to siphon money from Lambert. When Kosal Ouch learned about Lambert's wealth—including his Mercedes and Rolls-Royce—he saw an opportunity for a much bigger score.
The timeline reveals that Kosal had dinner with Lambert on December 4, 2008. Just two days later, Lambert vanished completely. His concerned friends raised the alarm when he failed to show up for planned meetings.
The scheme involved more than just theft. Kosal, Danny, and David Replogle developed a sinister plan to kidnap Lambert and force him to sign power of attorney documents. They intended to then take him to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico—a location where the group had previous connections from another con involving Thomas White.
Since Kosal was already under investigation by police and immigration authorities for previous scams, they needed someone else to appear as the beneficiary on Lambert's documents. The group turned to Russell Manning, Kosal's ex-partner who had previously been involved in their art gallery scheme with Gary Heidenreich.
After obtaining the power of attorney documents, Kosal approached Mark Evans, a contractor and realtor from Saratoga, California. He asked Evans to sell Lambert's Palm Springs home, claiming Lambert had molested him and given him HIV, which is why Lambert supposedly transferred the property to him as compensation.
Evans, suspicious of the story, examined the notarized power of attorney documents and consulted his wife who worked at a title company. She quickly discovered the troubling truth—Cliff Lambert had been reported as a missing person.
The elaborate scheme combined elements the group had used before: manipulation, fraudulent legal documents, and plans to escape to Mexico. Their target was not just Lambert's wealth but his entire property, showing a significant escalation in their criminal activities.
The Disappearance of Cliff Lambert
Cliff Lambert, a 74-year-old Palm Springs resident, vanished in December 2008 after becoming entangled with a group of skilled con artists. Before his disappearance, Lambert had been recently divorced and turned to dating apps to meet new people. Through these platforms, he connected with Danny Garcia, who began visiting Lambert's home regularly. Though their relationship wasn't romantic, Garcia took advantage of these visits to siphon money from Lambert.
When Kosal Narula learned about Lambert from Garcia, he quickly identified a lucrative target. Garcia had described Lambert as wealthy, mentioning his Rolls-Royce and Mercedes. The pair saw Lambert as their next mark and devised a plan to exploit him.
On December 4, 2008, Kosal dined with Lambert for the first time. Two days later, Lambert mysteriously disappeared. When he failed to show up for planned meetings with friends, they grew concerned about his welfare. Their intuition proved correct—Lambert had indeed met with foul play.
The con artists' scheme went beyond mere theft. Their plan involved kidnapping Lambert and forcing him to sign a power of attorney document before taking him to Mexico. Given Kosal's existing legal troubles, they needed someone else to appear as the beneficiary of Lambert's assets. The group had connections in Puerto Vallarta from previous schemes, making Mexico their chosen destination to dispose of Lambert.
The elaborate plot came to light when Kosal approached Mark Evans, a California contractor and realtor, in mid-December 2008. Kosal arrived with attorney David Replogle, asking Evans to sell Lambert's property immediately. He fabricated an outrageous story claiming Lambert had molested him and infected him with HIV, and that Lambert had given him the property as compensation.
Evans found the story suspicious and asked to review the documents. When his wife, who worked at a title company, researched the situation, she discovered Lambert had been reported as a missing person. This revelation confirmed Evans' suspicions that something sinister had occurred.
Lambert's disappearance represents the most devastating outcome of the group's criminal activities, escalating their schemes from financial fraud to something far more tragic.
