Rocky Mount police found three people dead inside a home on King Charles Court on Monday after a welfare check. Police Chief Martin McCoy Sr. said Tuesday that investigators do not suspect foul play and are looking at every angle.
The people found dead were Tracey Swann, Kenny Swann, and Mahala Scurlock. Police said they were discovered at 10:45 a.m., and family members said Scurlock had been adopted by Tracey Swann.
Krista Crisp on the utility bill
Krista Crisp, Swann's daughter, said the family's utility bill was over $2,000 and that her mother was the only one working. Crisp said her mother tried to make partial payments, but the city would only accept the full amount.
Crisp said Tracey Swann did not show up for a planned family shopping outing on Saturday and did not answer the front door on Sunday. When a family member returned Monday, she said, “I smell death.” Police then forced their way into the home and found the Swanns and Scurlock dead, along with three dogs.
Martin McCoy Sr. on the investigation
McCoy said investigators are looking into whether a generator was running inside the home and creating dangerous carbon monoxide fumes. He also said, “We're looking at every angle,” while adding, “That would be an issue that the family would have to take up with the utilities department.”
Police said there appeared to be no safety threat to surrounding residents. The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has been contacted and will notify the Rocky Mount Police Department about the official cause of death.
North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
For family members, the immediate question now is whether the deaths were tied to the generator investigators mentioned or to some other cause. McCoy said the police investigation has not determined a cause of death yet, and the medical examiner's finding will be the next official step that can answer it.
