Police conducting a welfare check at a mobile home park in North Carolina’s Rocky Mount on Monday, August 3, found three family members and their three dogs dead inside a residence.
The deceased are identified as a married couple, Tracey Swann and Kenny Swann, along with their adopted 20-year-old daughter, Mahala Scurlock.
WRAL News reported officers responded to the home at about 10.45 a.m. Authorities have not yet determined the official cause of death; however, they are investigating whether carbon monoxide poisoning may have played a role.
According to family members, the home’s electricity had been disconnected because of a pending utility bill, and investigators are examining whether a generator was being used when the deaths occurred.
Police said there was no threat to the surrounding community and that the investigation remains ongoing. The department released a statement: “The North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has been contacted and will notify the Rocky Mount Police Department regarding the official cause of death.”
Tracey Swann’s daughter, Krista Crisp, told WRAL News that the family’s electricity had been disconnected and believes it may have contributed to their death. She said her mother’s utility bill had grown to more than $2,000 and that Tracey was the only wage earner in the household. Although the family made partial payments, they were unable to restore the electricity.
It has been reported that some Rocky Mount residents have experienced ongoing billing disputes and power cut issues in recent months.
Crisp said she became concerned after her mother did not show up for a planned family shopping trip over the weekend. When another relative went to check on the family, she told Crisp, “I smell death,” prompting her to contact authorities.
Neighbors told reporters they last saw Scurlock walking one of the family’s dogs on Friday. Authorities have not confirmed when the deaths occurred but are working to establish a timeline. Questions also remain about when the home’s electricity was cut and whether any payments were recently made toward the outstanding balance.
View this post on Instagram
The case has sparked widespread discussion online, with many people criticizing the reported power cut during extreme weather.
A viewer under the WRAL YouTube video commented, “Lots of us people these days can hardly afford to live anymore. Water, electricity, rent, mortgage, gas. It’s all getting ridiculous while our job pay hardly changes at all, if any. These situations are horrible, and I hope they can all finally rest in peace.”
Another wrote, “RIP to all the lives lost. This world is without compassion and all about money. There should be programs to help people like this who are in need. We have money for everything else, but helping Americans.” “How can you turn off power during a heat wave?” asked one viewer. A fourth added, “I thought it was illegal to turn the electricity off during extreme heat or cold. Sad.”
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public video record.
