A family of four in Genoa Township were found dead in their home with high levels of carbon monoxide Thursday.
According to Genoa Township Police, the names of the family members are: Richard Gabriel Reitter III, Jennifer Reitter, Richard Gabriel Reitter IV, and Grace Reitter. Richard and Jennifer were married, and Richard, 15, and Grace, 13, were their children.
“All I know from what I’ve seen so far is that they were a great family,” says Genoa Police Chief Steve Gammill. “They were important members of our community who had a lot of friends and family within the community.”
A relative called 911 on Thursday, telling dispatchers they had not been able to contact the family in several days. The caller also said some of the family members previously said they were sick.
When they entered the home, first responders encountered carbon monoxide levels above 1,200 parts per million - an extremely high amount.
“I’ve been with the fire department for 25 years. I’ve never encountered a residence that had greater than 1,000 parts per million of carbon monoxide,” said Deputy Police Chief Joe Ponzi. “The highest I’ve ever seen was 500-600, and that was a very small garage.”
Authorities are investigating. Carbon monoxide is the suspected cause, but has not been officially determined.
