Couple dead after carbon monoxide found

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) - Portsmouth Police say two people were found dead in a home at 1702 South St. at 9 a.m. June 21, and carbon monoxide was detected in the apartment.

Jan Westerbeck with Portsmouth Police said Leroy and Inez Stith, both 65, were found dead inside the apartment. Westerbeck added there were no signs of apparent trauma on the victims.

According to Westerbeck, fire officials tested for carbon monoxide and reported positive readings. The five-apartment building, which is owned by Portsmouth Redevelopment & Housing , was then evacuated so all homes could be checked.

Residents from several apartments were examined by medical personnel on scene, according to police.

According to the PRHA website , all public housing rents are based on income, regardless of the size of unit, and each unit is supplied with a refrigerator and a stove.

"This could happen again and again to anyone's family," Inez's brother John Perdue told WAVY.com.

Inez called him the night before, fearful for her life.

"She asked me to come over and I said, 'what's wrong?' She said, 'please come over,' she said 'I'm scared,' she said, 'I'm not feeling good,'" Perdue said. "She kept saying, 'I keep sleeping and I just feel bad, I never felt like this before.' She said, 'I'm scared,' she said, 'I'm scared to lay down because I'm afraid I won't get back up.'"

Family checked on Stith and thought she was okay until Thursday morning.

"We want everyone to feel safe in our communities," Deputy Executive Director of the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority Kathy Warren said.

Warren said residents are encouraged to report any problems, including to the gas stoves, smoke or carbon monoxide detectors.

"They are checked on a regular basis actually we've just gone through a full set of testing for all of our smoke detectors," Warren said.

"It's a tragic loss and I see no reason for it to happen because alarms smoke detectors in there are supposed to detect carbon monoxide," Perdue said. "I'm gonna miss them."