UPDATE: Cause of deaths released after family found in Princess Anne home

The cause of death has been released for all eight of the people found dead inside a Princess Anne home on Monday.

During a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Princess Anne Police revealed that the eight members of the Todd family died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The deaths have been ruled as accidental.

The father identified as 36-year-old Rodney Eric Todd, along with the seven children, identified as boys 13-year-old Cameron and 7-year-old Zycheim and the girls as 15-year-old Tynijuiza, 12-year-old Tykira, 10-year-old Tybree, 9-year-old Tyania and 6-year-old Tybria.

Police say there was nothing unusual within the home, all doors and windows were locked. All eight members of the Todd family were apparently found in what appeared to be sleeping positions.

According to the Princess Anne Police Department, a generator was found in the home, and there was no gas in the tank. 

Delmarva Power says in October 2014, power to the home was disconnected, at the request of the customer. On March 25th, 2015, Delmarva Power says a smart meter revealed that there was a stolen electric meter being used at the home. They then apparently disconnected the illegally connected unit, as is protocol. The home was not disconnected because of non-payment, according to Delmarva Power.

Also revealed at the press conference was that Somerset County Public Schools made two home visits, and several phone calls, after the children didn’t report to school.

Somerset County Public Schools Press Representative, Leo Lawson, tells 47 ABC that two representatives from the school district stopped by the house on April 1st. They visited the home two times on the same day, within an hour and 30 minutes of each other, 11:00 AM and 12:30 PM. In both instances, they did not find anyone at home, or so they thought, so they called the house.
Two calls made to the home. Neither of the two individuals who went out to the house contacted police, because the assumption was made that nothing was out of the ordinary, according to Lawson.

Lawson explained the Somerset County Public School’s Attendance and Tardy Guidelines, parents will receive a daily robo call if their child does not show up for school. After two days absence, an actual person will reportedly call the home, and after a number of days, a series of letter and phone calls will continue to be made. Lawson clarified that going to an absent student’s home is not a school district policy, but they apparently did anyway.

Five of the children went to Princess Anne Elementary, one went to Somerset Intermediate School, and one went to Washington Academy High School.

Thompson Hospitality, the food service provider at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Todd’s employer, has sent condolences to the family, saying in a statement “we mourn the loss of our friend and team member, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.” They have also set up a donation location for the family. Donations, in the form of checks or money order, can be dropped off at UMES’ The Takeout, in the Student Services Center, through April 22nd. Thompson Hospitality says they will also be contributing to the fund, and giving catering services as per the family’s wishes. A bank account is reportedly in the works for easier donating, details will be released as the become available.

The family was found in their home, after a missing persons report was filed for the father, Rodney Todd. The Princess Anne Police Department says on Monday, Stephanie Wells, a supervisor working one the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, contacted the department to place a missing person report.

Ms. Wells explained that she had not spoken to or seen her employee, Todd, since March 28, 2015.

Following this information, the detectives were able to obtain a key to Todd’s residence located on the 3000 block of Antioch Avenue in Princess Anne. When investigators entered the home, they found Todd and his seven children; two boys and five girls. All eight of the individuals were deceased.

The bodies were transported to the medical examiner’s office in Baltimore, where the exact cause of death was then revealed.