HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. – The girlfriend of one of the men found dead in a Highland Park home wanted police to force entry into the building the previous day when nobody answered the door, officials said.
Police said they found a 42-year-old man and a 68-year-old man dead Sunday inside a home on Massachusetts Street near Oakland Avenue and the Davison Freeway.
Officials said the girlfriend of one of those men went to the home Saturday and called police when she couldn’t get in contact with anyone.
Officers showed up and knocked on the door. When nobody answered, the girlfriend wanted police to force their way into the home, but there was nothing unusual or illegal going on, so authorities called the landlord.
The landlord told police he’d spoken to one of the men, who said he wasn’t staying at the home that day because there was no heat, officials said.
The next day, police got another call and forced their way into the home. They found the two men dead upstairs, according to authorities.
Neighbors said the men had been at the home for awhile, maybe a couple of years. They said it wasn’t unusual to hear a generator running.
“They even came and borrowed a gas can from me, and I heard the generator running, but I was sure it was outside,” one neighbor said.
Highland Park officials can’t officially name a cause of death, but someone removing items from the house Monday said there was a heavy smell of exhaust fumes still inside.
Local 4 was told a generator was found on the basement steps, with extension cords leading up to the second floor, where the men were found.
Questions remain about whether the men were supposed to be at the home. It’s unclear if that’s related to the heating issues or rental issues. Investigators are still looking into the case.