Marion County Sheriff’s Office. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)
A Salem father, his daughter and two pets were found dead at home on Feb. 1 from what Marion County Sheriff’s Office detectives believe was monoxide poisoning.
A 911 caller reported finding Richard Yaple, 50, and Hannah Yaple, 17, of Keizer, not breathing inside the fifth wheel trailer in the 5700 block of State Street on Monday morning after not hearing from them since Saturday, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
“Due to the suspicious nature of the deaths, detectives from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Unit were called to the scene. Detectives believe the two deaths were the result of carbon monoxide poisoning from a propane heater being used inside the trailer,” the release said.
Sheriff’s deputies and Marion County Fire District No. 1 firefighters pronounced them dead at the scene. A dog and cat were also found dead inside, according to the release.
The sheriff’s office advises people to carefully read manufacturer’s instructions before using an indoor space heater and to install carbon monoxide detectors inside homes.
Each year about 430 people die accidentally from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
-Saphara Harrell
