‘Foul odor’ leads cops to family dead in apartment. Heat killed them, TX officials say

A family found dead and decomposing inside their Texas apartment died due to heat, officials and news outlets report.

The cause of death announcement comes months after Brownsville police responded to a “welfare concern” call at the Conquistador apartments on May 8.

Once at the scene, officers noticed a “strong foul odor” coming from one of the units, then entered to find three bodies in a “high state of decomposition” inside, McClatchy News reported.

Who they were and what killed them weren’t clear.

Now, officials say all three people were family members, and they died from heat exposure, KRGV reported on Aug. 14. They’ve been identified as Joaquin Galvan, 82, Maria Galvan, 78, and 60-year-old Maria Singh, according to officials.

Singh was Joaquin Galvan’s daughter and acted as a caretaker for the couple, KVEO reported.

It was 88 degrees inside the home, the station reported. Several floor fans were running, but the air conditioner was not on. In addition to the heat, the three all had underlying health issues, officials said, and their deaths are considered accidental, according to the outlet.

This story was originally published August 15, 2024 at 10:27 AM with the headline "‘Foul odor’ leads cops to family dead in apartment. Heat killed them, TX officials say."