2006 — Dec 17, Carbon Monoxide poisoning from car in duplex garage, Kirksville, MO– 7
–7 Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Carbon monoxide killed 7 in Kirksville.” 3-21-2007, p. 5.
–7 Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Kirksville Deaths. Coroner: Carbon monoxide…” 12-20-2006, 3.
–7 Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Police seek clues…seven found dead in Kirksville.” 12-19-2006, 1.
Narrative Information
Dec 19: “Kirksville – Bryan Norman shook his head Monday [Dec 18] as he remembered watching the small children next door scampering happily in their backyard. Police on Monday were still trying to solve the mysterious deaths of the two children and five adults who were found the day before [Sunday, Dec 17] inside a duplex apartment on a quiet, tidy street in this remote northeast Missouri town. Police Chief Jim Hughes said a reading on a fire department sensor indicated a high level of carbon monoxide at the home. Police were consulting with the maker of the carbon monoxide detector to get a better understanding of what the reading meant. “It’s a very critical element of our investigation,” Hughes said.
“The seven bodies were discovered around 2:30 p.m. Sunday after a 911 call. Names have not been released, but police said the victims included the 23-year-old tenant and two of her children – a 1-year-old boy and a girl who would have turned 2 later this month. Also discovered were the bodies of two 21-year-old men, a 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman….Police weren’t sure if any of the other adults lived in the split-level duplex. A woman living in the building’s other apartment was evaluated at a hospital but was OK….
“The home heating system was functioning properly and was not the source of any problem, Hughes said. A van parked in the garage was taken to a crime lab, bu Hughes would not say if the van had been running inside the enclosed garage.
“All seven bodies were taken to a medical examiner’s office in Columbia for autopsies.” (Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Police seek clues after seven found dead in Kirksville.” 12-19-2006.)
Dec 20: “Kirksville — The seven people found dead over the weekend inside a duplex in this northeast Missouri town suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, and investigators are focusing on a van found in the home’s garage, police said Tuesday. Preliminary autopsy results showed the five adults and two children all had high levels of carbon monoxide in their tissue and blood, Adair County Coroner Brian Noe said. But Noe and Police Chief Jim Hughes stopped short of ruling that as the cause of death. “It does not appear to be any trauma — no injuries, no signs of struggle, anything like that were found,” Noe said.
“Additional toxicology tests won’t be completed for four to six weeks, Noe said. Those test results will help determine if other factors contributed to the deaths. As a result, Hughes said he wasn’t yet willing to say if the deaths were accidental. “We haven’t made a determination one way or another, nor do I expect we will for a while,” Hughes said. “Anytime you have seven people in that type of circumstance you look at every avenue,” Noe said.
“Also Tuesday, police identified the victims: The tenant of the apartment, 23-year-old Maranda McDermott; her son Adam McDermott Jr., who turned 1 Thursday, and daughter Melina McDermott, who would have been 2 on Dec. 30; Phillip Scruggs, 21; Rachel Findling, 21; Reginald Washington, 21; and Jeremy Liner, 19. All seven lived in Kirksville….
“The bodies were discovered Sunday afternoon by 15-year-old Heather Glaspie and two of her friends. Glaspie was the baby sitter for the two children and became worried when she couldn’t reach their mother….When fire officials arrived at the scene Sunday, a sensor indicated a high level of carbon monoxide. Glaspie also said there was a strong odor when she walked into the house. “It had a funny smell,” Glaspie said Monday night during a candlelight vigil for the victims.” (Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Kirksville Deaths. Coroner: Carbon monoxide in Victim’s system.” 12-20-2006, p. 3.)
March 21: “Kirksville – Associated Press – Toxicology tests have confirmed that carbon monoxide poisoning killed seven people, including two children, inside a duplex in the northeast Missouri town Kirksville three months ago, police chief Jim Hughes said Tuesday. Hughes said test results showed that all seven victims had blood levels of carbon monoxide at “greater than 60 percent saturation.” Police have checked out rumors of foul play, but believe those rumors are unfounded. Hughes said. Cause of death for all seven will be listed as accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
“Emergency crews were called to the duplex Dec. 17. One of the victims, Maranda McDermott, 23, had failed to show up for work, and friends went to the duplex that afternoon to look for her. They found the victims inside the duplex and an odor that smelled like vehicle exhaust. A van was found in the garage, the key in the on position. The van had run out of gas.
“Grayling Ramsey, McDermott’s stepfather, said at a candlelight vigil soon after the deaths that his son had called the duplex about 1 a.m. that day and was told that one of the young people was in the garage, listening to music in the van. “He probably got cold and turned it on,” Ramsey said at the time. “He probably went upstairs and starting playing video games and forgot all about it. He was unaware you can’t do that. All he had to do was crack the door.”” (Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Carbon monoxide killed 7 in Kirksville.” 3-21-2007, p. 5.
Sources
Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Carbon monoxide killed 7 in Kirksville.” 3-21-2007, p. 5. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=189058742&sterm=kirksville+carbon
Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Kirksville Deaths. Coroner: Carbon monoxide in Victim’s system.” 12-20-2006, 3. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=184240414&sterm=kirksville+carbon+monoxide
Sedalia Democrat, MO. “Police seek clues after seven found dead in Kirksville.” 12-19-2006, 1. http://newspaperarchive.com/fullpagepdfviewer?img=183811473&sterm=kirksville+carbon+monoxide