A gas leak from a faulty water heater is likely to blame for the deaths of an Iowa family sleeping at a seaside Mexican condo earlier this month, according to a prosecutor.
The condo’s water heater “was leaking gas, maybe from use or lack or maintenance” and likely emitted “a high level” of toxic gas, Miguel Angel Pech, lead prosecutor of the coastal state of Quintana Roo, said during an interview by a local radio program operated by Grupo Formula.
Kevin Sharp and Amy Sharp, and their children Sterling Wayne, 12, and Adrianna Marie, 7, died as a result of “asphyxiation by inhalation of toxic gases,” according to autopsy results.
Mexico Attorney General The deaths of Kevin Wayne Sharp; his wife, Amy Marie Sharp; their son, Sterling, 12; and daughter Adrianna, 7 have been ruled as due to gas inhalation in Tulum, Mexico.
Amy Sharp’s sister, Renee Hoyt, told ABC News soon after her sister and her family were reported missing that they had flown from St. Louis to Cancun for a seven-day spring break vacation and were staying in the coastal town of Tulum.
Hoyt said she received a text message from her sister that they’d arrived at their condo. It was the last time she heard from her sister.
Mexico Attorney General The deaths of Kevin Wayne Sharp; his wife, Amy Marie Sharp; their son, Sterling, 12; and daughter Adrianna, 7 have been ruled as due to gas inhalation in Tulum, Mexico. Mexico Attorney General The deaths of Kevin Wayne Sharp; his wife, Amy Marie Sharp; their son, Sterling, 12; and daughter Adrianna, 7 have been ruled as due to gas inhalation in Tulum, Mexico.
The Sharps were no-shows on their return flight to St. Louis on the evening of March 21.
“When they got off the plane, their instructions were to text home and let us know that you made it back,” Hoyt said.
Mexico Attorney General The deaths of Kevin Wayne Sharp; his wife, Amy Marie Sharp; their son, Sterling, 12; and daughter Adrianna, 7 have been ruled as due to gas inhalation in Tulum, Mexico.
Relatives back in Iowa were still attempting to prepare for the return of the family members’ bodies by Wednesday.
A relative of the Sharps told ABC News on Monday that funeral plans were pending and that “the family knows what it wants to do” but nothing had been confirmed.
Courtesy Sharp Family Kevin Wayne Sharp, 41; his wife, Amy Marie Sharp, 38; Sterling Wayne Sharp, 12; and Adrianna Marie Sharp, 7, are seen in this undated photo posted on Facebook.
The condo rented by the Sharps was located at Residencial TAO. Its homeowners association confirmed on Sunday that Mexican authorities were let into the property and ultimately found the Sharps after relatives inquired as to their whereabouts.
The homeowners association said in a statement that the vacation property shifted ownership in November 2013 to a private owner who then became “accountable for its maintenance.”
ABC News’ Ben Gittleson and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
This story has been updated.The Defense Department said Monday evening that suspicious packages had been received at military installations in the Washington region, and were being investigated.
In a statement, the department said “we are tracking the delivery of suspicious packages to multiple military installations in the National Capital Region.”
In the statement, Army Lt. Col. Michelle L. Baldanza said “this incident is currently under investigation.”
She said the Pentagon was referring all queries to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In a statement, the FBI’s Washington field office said the bureau responded to multiple government facilities Monday “for the reports of suspicious packages.” The bureau said each package was collected for further analysis. The precise number of packages involved could not be learned. According to media accounts, the packages may have been received at as many as six sites.
The sites included Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in the District and at Fort Belvoir, in Virginia, according to the accounts.
In addition, an NBC news report indicated that “similar” packages were located at mail processing facilities for both the CIA and the White House.
No injuries were reported, and information about the contents of the packages was not immediately available.
It was not clear what led authorities to deem the packages suspicious. Most or all of the installations involved have means to detect possibly hazardous materials within packages.
According to authorities, at least one of the packages did contain black powder. Black powder is an ingredient of some explosive devices.
In a statement, a military spokesman said a suspicious package was received at the National Defense University at 8:30 a.m. Monday on the grounds of Fort McNair.
Mike Howard, a spokesman for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall said the building was evacuated immediately and the area was cordoned off.
Fort McNair is in Southwest Washington, west of Nationals Park.
Shortly after noon, according to Howard, an Army explosive ordnance disposal unit from Fort Belvoir “confirmed the package tested positive for black powder and residue.
He said an x-ray indicated the presence of what was suspected to be a GPS device and a fuse.
Howard said the package was “rendered safe,” and no injuries were reported.
He said the premises were later cleared for reentry.
