An Ohio couple who supposedly overdosed on heroin-fentanyl were found dead by their four children Thursday morning.
The bodies of Spirit Airlines pilot Brian Halye, 36, and his wife Courtney, 34, were discovered in the bedroom of their Centerville home. In one of two 911 calls made around 8 am, the oldest child told a dispatcher that his parents felt “cold” while his sisters are heard crying in the background, Fox59 reported.
A dispatcher confirmed the children’s ages were 13, 11, 10 and 9. NBC News reported that the sisters, who also called 911, described their father as “pale” and having “black lines all over his face.”
Though Montgomery County Coroner’s Office Director Ken Betz said a preliminary indication pointed to “probable accidental drug overdose,” it will take six weeks for a toxicology testing to provide an exact cause and manner of death, according to the Dayton Daily News.
Centerville Police reportedly recovered narcotics paraphernalia at the scene.
“From what I gather from Centerville Police, it could be consistent with what we’re seeing with fentanyl products in our community,” Betz said on Friday.
Brian and Courtney each had two children from previous relationships. Brian’s mother picked up his daughters from the scene while family members are believed to have taken in Courtney’s daughter and son. The Dayton Daily News pointed out that Courtney’s former husband, the children’s father, died in 2007.
Courtney’s mother, Nancy Casey, 51, told NBC News that her late daughter was a Type 1 diabetic and suffered from depression. However, Casey didn’t believe drugs or heroin were a consistent issue in the couple’s lives.
Spring Valley Academy, where two of the four children attended, released a statement Friday. It read in part:
“As a Christian community, we take comfort in the promise of ultimate healing, restoration, and resurrection but at the moment we are deeply grieving with our students and their families.”
Brian was a pilot for Spirit Airlines for more than nine years. The company confirmed the father’s last flight was on March 10.
“Captain Hayle served at the airline for just over nine years,” Spirit Airlines spokesman Paul Berry commented. “Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of Captain Halye.”
Authorities said they are still investigating the deaths.
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