In a tragic incident, an elderly couple in Spartanburg, South Carolina, was found deceased in their home, where the temperature had soared to perilous levels.
Joan Littlejohn, 84, and Glennwood Fowler, 82, were discovered on January 6, 2024, after family members raised concerns about their well-being.
The Spartanburg Police Department responded to the family’s request for a welfare check around 6 p.m.
Finding the doors locked, officers entered through a bedroom window. Inside, they encountered a harrowing scene: Fowler was lying unclothed on the bed while Littlejohn was seated fully clothed in a chair. The temperature in the home had reached an alarming 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Investigators found no evidence of foul play or carbon monoxide poisoning. It seems the couple had been trying to address a heating issue, believing their heater was malfunctioning.
Earlier on January 3, family members had attempted to fix the heater and hot water heater, which were reportedly not functioning properly. After adjusting the hot water heater and fiddling with some wires, they observed a light turn back on, and they left, unaware of the impending danger.
Something went terribly wrong, as the heater in the home’s basement was found to be excessively hot, with temperatures estimated to be over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to a report from the Spartanburg Police Department, a medic tried to take the temperatures of the bodies, but his device would only register up to 106 degrees.
The extreme heat was not due to a fire, as initially feared by the firefighters who responded to the scene. Despite efforts to ventilate the house by opening windows and using special fans, the temperature remained significantly high for an extended period.
Autopsies were performed on Littlejohn and Fowler, but the exact causes of death are still under investigation.
The Spartanburg County Coroner, Rusty Clevenger, mentioned the need for further testing to determine the precise reasons for the couple’s deaths.
While carbon monoxide levels in the home were not found to be elevated, the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning is being considered.