Joan Littlejohn, 84, and Glennwood Fowler, 82, were found dead in their home in Spartanburg, South Carolina
An elderly couple from South Carolina in the US met a tragic end when they were essentially boiled alive in their home’s basement as temperatures soared to 1,000 degrees.
Worried about the bitter cold, Joan Littlejohn, 84, and her companion Glennwood Fowler, 82, cranked their radiator to a deadly setting.
The grim discovery was made three days after the pair had voiced concerns about their faulty heating system.
Officers said the couple had informed relatives on Wednesday that their heating and water heater had packed up, prompting family members to pop round and seemingly sort the issue.
In a bid to keep warm during Spartanburg’s chilly spell, it emerged a family member had pushed the couple’s radiator to dangerous extremes, reports the Mirror US.
Police found no signs of a scuffle or criminal activity.
Worried by days of silence, relatives rushed to the property and stumbled upon the devastating scene.
The pair were discovered dead in their home in January 2024, three days after loved ones had last spoken to them.
Officials reported the indoor temperature was “extremely hot.”
Glennwood was discovered naked on the bed, whilst Joan was sitting beside him.
Post-mortem examinations ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning, revealing their body temperatures had rocketed past 106 degrees – beyond what instruments could register.
They also tested for carbon dioxide levels, which weren’t notably elevated, the police report stated. The County Coroner raised alarms, saying: “We did not note foul play to the bodies on the scene, but are concerned with why the temperature was so high.”
After a paramedic stumbled upon the bodies in the bedroom via an unlocked window, it emerged that the thermometer couldn’t even gauge their body temperatures because they surpassed its 106F limit.
Firefighters faced blistering conditions as they reported the house’s temperature soared past 120 degrees, despite airing it out for about 20 minutes. One firefighter commented: “The heater was so hot it looked as if the basement was currently on fire.”
Realising the heater wasn’t actually ablaze, the crew immediately turned it off, and the police report later revealed: “They then measured the temperature of the heater itself at more than 1,000 degrees.”
To clear the strong smell of natural gas, the house was ventilated, and by the time the teams left, the thermometer was back in action.
The officer who attended the scene noted in reflection: “Upon looking at it, I stated the residence was at 96 degrees. It read this temperature after the house had been open for around two and a half hours.”