An elderly couple was found dead at their home in Spartanburg, South Carolina. According to police, the furnace in the basement was extremely hot: about 1,000 degrees. The temperature inside the couple's home was more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, WSPA reported.
The couple's family called the Spartanburg police at around 6 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, because they hadn't heard from them since Wednesday. When police arrived at the home, they found two people — 84-year-old Joan Littlejohn and 82-year-old Glennwood Fowler — had died.
All of the doors were locked when the police arrived at the house. They were able to enter the house through a window that was not secure, according to WYFF 4.
A medic tried to measure the victims' body temperatures, but the device could only read temperatures up to 106 degrees, meaning both of their temperatures were higher than 106F at the time.
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Though the temperature inside the house was measured at more than 120 degrees, the doors were open, letting cold air from outside into the home for about 20 minutes before this reading was recorded.
The home was also tested for carbon monoxide. Though carbon monoxide wasn't detected, carbon monoxide poisoning has not been ruled out. Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger said the victims' bodies will also be tested for carbon monoxide poisoning, WSPA reported.
“Carbon monoxide is a consideration whenever we deal with these type of deaths and with the type of heater that it was. It is possible that they could have had some carbon monoxide poisoning," Clevenger said.
The family told police that they went to the couple's house days before to help them with their heater, which hadn't been working properly.
Since they noticed that the pilot light on the hot water heater was off, they "fiddled" with it and moved a wire. When the light came back on, they left, WSPA reported.
Foul play is not suspected. However, more testing is needed and the investigation is ongoing. Investigators also don't know how the home got to be so hot.
“We ask you keep the families of Ms. Littlejohn and Mr. Fowler in your thoughts and prayers during their time of loss and grief,” the coroner said.
