Police: Carbon monoxide caused deaths of 7 people in Moorhead, Minn.

Carbon monoxide to blame for deaths of Moorhead family

On Wedneday, officers said the seven people found dead at a Moorhead, Minnesota home died from carbon monoxide poisoning.

MOORHEAD, MInn. (FOX 9) - The deaths of seven people in Moorhead, Minnesota over the weekend were the result of carbon monoxide poisoning, Moorhead police confirmed on Wednesday.

In a news conference this afternoon, the police chief said test results came back confirming carbon monoxide toxicity in the victims which included four adults and three children.

Initial scanner reports had pointed to carbon monoxide's role in the deaths, but Wednesday's announcement was the first official confirmation. Up until this point, police had only said there had been no signs of violence.

On the night the bodies were found, police said carbon monoxide hadn't been detected but it may have been pushed out by the furnace which was in fan mode.

4 adults, 3 children found dead inside Moorhead home, police say

Police say that seven people were found dead inside a northwestern Minnesota home Saturday night.

What was the source of the carbon monoxide?

On Wednesday, police said there were two possible sources of the carbon monoxide: a furnace and a vehicle.

Officers say it appears the furnace was working properly and investigators were unable to replicate any trouble. The victims were also wearing light clothes, leading police to believe it was working properly.

The vehicle, a van, however, was having trouble and was found with a dead battery and half a tank of gas. Police are working to determine if there was a presence of hydrogen cyanine in the home, which would indicate exhaust was the cause. But, officers say it could take eight weeks to determine the exact cause.

A carbon monoxide detector was found inside the home, but it had been taken off the wall and its batteries had been removed.