Police entered the Downey Street residence after a neighbor reported a foul odor, and investigators have not determined how the two people died.
HOUSTON, TX — Houston police are investigating the deaths of two adults found inside a north Houston home after authorities were called to the property because of a foul odor, according to the Houston Police Department.
Officers and emergency personnel responded shortly after 5 p.m. Monday to a residence in the 11600 block of Downey Street, near Little York Road. A concerned neighbor had contacted authorities after noticing an odor coming from the property. Emergency crews forced their way into the residence and found two people dead inside.
The identities of the two adults had not been released as of early Tuesday. Police also had not announced their ages, whether they lived at the home or what relationship, if any, existed between them. Authorities said those questions remained part of the investigation.
Houston Police Department Detective Gerardo Herrera said investigators did not yet know what caused the deaths. Police had not publicly announced signs of trauma, a suspected weapon or other evidence establishing whether the deaths resulted from criminal activity, an accident, natural causes or another circumstance.
The condition inside the residence and the odor reported by the neighbor could indicate the two people had been there for some time, but authorities had not released an estimated time of death. Police also had not said when either person was last known to be alive. Determining that timeline could become an important part of the investigation as detectives work to establish what happened inside the home.
Investigators were expected to rely on information gathered at the scene along with medical examinations to determine the cause and manner of each death. Those findings can help authorities decide whether a death was caused by natural circumstances, an accident, homicide, suicide or an undetermined cause. No such determination had been announced Tuesday.
Police had not identified a suspect or announced any arrests in connection with the discovery. Authorities also had not released information indicating that investigators were searching for a specific person. The deaths remained under investigation, and police had not publicly established whether anyone else was present at the residence before the bodies were found.
The discovery began with the neighbor’s report rather than a call describing an assault or other emergency inside the house. After crews entered the property and confirmed that two adults were dead, investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Police had not released additional information about what officers found inside the residence.
Identification of the two people and official findings on their causes of death remained pending as the investigation continued. Houston police had not announced when additional information would be released.
Author note: Last updated September 15, 2026.