Carbon Monoxide Listed As Killer Of Minnesota Family
Moorhead, MN (KROC AM News) - The suspicions of many in the Moorhead, Minnesota community were correct.
The Moorhead Police Dept. Wednesday released more information about the seven family members who were found dead in their home last Saturday.
The MPD says results of blood tests “listed a lethal level of carbon monoxide toxicity in the victims.”
The department says investigators found two known sources that produce carbon monoxide. The first is the furnace at the residence, located in a separate room inside the garage area that has an exterior air intake for fresh air. Experts checked the furnace and found it was not the source of the CO that killed the victims.
A vehicle in the garage was also checked and it was found with a dead battery and a half-full gas tank. Police say there was no indication it was being worked on. The department says “Further testing from victim blood samples is being conducted at a qualified separate lab to determine if there is a presence of hydrogen cyanide which originates from the exhaust of a motor vehicle. This lab test result may take up to eight weeks for results.”
Carbon monoxide was not detected in the home when the victims were found.
Detectives also found a carbon monoxide detector in a laundry room cabinet detached from the wall and its battery removed. The sensors currently mounted in the home were smoke-only detection devices.
It's not known when the victims died. They were last seen on Thursday.
A fundraiser has been set up to cover funeral expenses.
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