Three people were found dead Friday in rural Pike County after a sheriff’s deputy responded to a welfare check. 

Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas said a deputy was dispatched to a home on County Road 2276 to perform a welfare check. Thomas said the deputy discovered a car running in the garage, but no one had seen the homeowner recently. 

Thomas said the deputy was unable to get anyone to answer the door and had to break it down to gain entry to the home. Thomas said the deputy discovered three people dead in the back bedroom of the house. 

Thomas said the Troy HAZMAT unit was called in to test the home and found high levels of carbon monoxide inside the home. 

District Attorney James Tarbox said the man, his wife and a caregiver died from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning. Tarbox said the DA’s office had requested a toxicology test be done on the three victims by the Alabama Department of Forensic Science. 

Thomas and Tarbox said the names of the victims were being withheld pending notification of family members. 

Thomas said he wanted to thank the Glenwood Volunteer Fire Department, Troy Fire Department, the Troy HAZMAT unit, the district attorney’s office, the coroner’s office and Southeast Alabama Gas for assistance in the investigation.