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Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Ruled Cause of Deaths for Steubenville Couple

An autopsy showed a couple found dead in their home at 1220 Lincoln Ave. in Steubenville on Sunday died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning, the county coroner’s office reported.

The bodies were sent for autopsies on Tuesday after blood tests came back inconclusive. The autopsy reports were received Wednesday afternoon.

James Swearingen Jr. and his wife, Carolyn, both 61, were discovered by a family member at the couple’s home. A family member reported not hearing from the couple since Friday.

Police reported the husband was found downstairs and the wife was upstairs. There were no signs of foul play inside the home, officials said.

The fire department checked the home for carbon monoxide on Sunday but there was a low reading. The furnace was turned off by the fire department at the time. A bird and a dog were alive inside the home.

The fire department, a Steubenville police detective and Columbia Gas representatives went back to the house on Tuesday and turned the furnace on and carbon monoxide was detected. The fire department reported the problem was in the furnace.

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