Dec. 01--An elderly couple found dead Saturday afternoon in their Calumet Heights home died from carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said.
Family members of the couple called the police and fire departments about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, asking for a well-being check after the pair did not show up Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner, said Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Jose Estrada.
When police arrived and peered through a front window, they saw an elderly man lying on the floor of a front room. Forced entry was made and police discovered the man was unresponsive in the living room, said Estrada.
Police then searched the home and found an unresponsive elderly woman in a second-floor bedroom, said Estrada.
Clemmie Jones, 76, and Nancy Jones, 77, of the 8700 block of South Dorchester Avenue, were both pronounced dead about 5:50 p.m. Saturday at the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. The medical examiner's office said Sunday that the cause of death for both was carbon monoxide intoxication due to a faulty natural gas appliance exhaust.
Firefighters had done a measurement for carbon monoxide at the scene, and according to preliminary reports, levels of the gas were high, police said.
