UPDATE: Preliminary Autopsies Offer Turning Point In West Road Case

We have an update on the two bodies that were discovered in a home on West Road Tuesday morning.

The male individual who died was identified as Thomas A. Cash. He was 64 years old and was living at 1663 Linden Avenue. Cash had been staying with Carolyn Eileen Porter off and on and had known her for very long time. Preliminary autopsies were carried out on the two individuals. Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz told us the results allowed for a big turning point.

“Yesterday I spoke about Ms. Porter having a medical condition, and that was extreme pneumonia. She had pneumonia in both lungs. The preliminary results for Mr. Cash showed also that he had extreme pneumonia in both lungs. The doctor doing the autopsy even told us that the case of pneumonia in Mr. Cash was the most severe he had seen for quite some time and Ms. Porter’s was almost as bad.

Lutz said it was reported that Porter also had some other lung issues as well. Cash’s autopsy also showed observable signs of carbon monoxide. Though Porter’s initially did not, they expect toxicology reports to show the same. Lutz said anyone with pneumonia is more susceptible to carbon monoxide poisoning.

“At this point, going off of what we’ve seen, and what the reports are showing us its probably leaning more towards the pneumonia and some carbon monoxide that caused the death.”

Lutz said that there were other reasons that led officials to initially suspect foul play. Those have now been ruled out. Lutz said that suspicious marks on Cash’s body were most likely early signs of decomposition. Both victims were found on the bedroom floor where a night stand had fallen. Lutz believes that a victim may have knocked it over in a state of disorientation.

Lutz told us they will most likely put the case on hold now unless something else surfaces and until the autopsy reports are returned.