An elderly South Carolina couple was cooked alive in their home last week, police said.
Officers conducted welfare checks on 84-year-old Joan Littlejohn and 82-year-old Glenwood Fowler, who were found dead in their beds with no signs of a struggle. according to CBS News. The temperature of the couple's heater exceeded 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature of the victim's body exceeded 106 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a police report obtained by the outlet.
Anyone with a fever of 104 degrees or higher should “immediately cool down and seek emergency medical attention.” according to To Mayo Clinic Said.
Two elderly people were found dead in their bedrooms in South Carolina last week during well-exams, and police say the heat in the home reached 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so hot that the victims' bodies swelled. It was announced that the temperature was over 106 degrees. https://t.co/P4JRyVrmok
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 10, 2024
When authorities arrived on the scene, they noticed the home was unusually warm, Fox 8 said. report. When the firefighter was finally able to shut off the heater, he allegedly noticed that the temperature of the heater was over 1,000 degrees.
“They then searched the basement of the residence where a space heater and water heater were located,” the police report states, according to CBS. “One firefighter said the heater was so hot it looked like the basement was on fire.”
Officials determined there was no foul play, CBS reported. Police learned that the last time the couple's family came to the residence, they thought it was too cold and “tampered with” the water heater. (Related: Video of good Samaritan dramatically rescuing man from burning truck along highway)
The investigation is ongoing, but authorities have not yet determined why the heater was set so high.
