Carbon Monoxide Kills Maryland Dad And Family!

A tragedy in Maryland over the week advocates the need for families to have carbon monoxide detectors and proper training with devices that emits the odorless, colorless and tasteless gas.

A family of eight died on Maryland's eastern shore leaving a town and nation in mourning.

The father and his seven children died in their sleep. Other family members did a welfare chceck on them after failed contact. I guess they walked on the shocking discovery.

Apparently Somerset County police are trying to piece together how this tragedy happened.

Unfortunately, the family made the claim that the power company is partially at fault. They cut the power off and Rodney Todd had no choice but to use a power generator. That power generator wasn't placed in an area that was well ventilated. The generator was malfunctioning and carbon monoxide creep in.

The family was asleep. No one expected the gas to be silent and extremely deadly.

The Todd children died in a CO poisoning.

School officials are offering counseling to friends and family. 15 year old, Tyjuziana Todd, who along with her six siblings were killed. Tyjuziana attended Washington High; Cameron, 13, and Tykeria, 12, attended Somerset Intermediate; and Tynijuzia, 10; Tyniah, 9; Zhiheem, 7; and Tyberyia, 6, attended Princess Anne Elementary.

"We had a few staff members who had a hard time coming to terms with what happened," Hankerson said Wednesday. "For some it was rough. They had to leave the room and gather composure, especially when it came to class time."

The Baltimore Sun reports that Todd's supervisor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore — where Todd worked in dining services — grew concerned because he had not talked to him since March 28. Inside, they found all eight family members dead. It appeared that they had gone to sleep for the night and never awakened, police said.

Police found a generator with an empty gas tank inside the home. Lloyd Edwards said his stepson used the generator because the electricity had been shut off.

Delmarva Power said the home had been without service since March 25, when workers discovered a stolen electric meter and shut off power for "safety reasons." The utility originally disconnected power there in October, before the Todds began renting the home, and Delmarva said no request had been made to reconnect service.

The Maryland power company that covers the area claims that Todd stole electricity. They found a power box they claim was malfunctioning and they've determined it to be stolen. So they cut the power off but deny any fault to the family's death.

Todd was struggling father. Couldn't Delmarva offer incentives to assist struggling customers pay their electricity?

Police said Wednesday that they were winding down their investigation after the medical examiner determined that the deaths were accidental.

Somerset County Commissioner Craig N. Mathies Sr., whose district includes the Todds' modest, yellow-siding-covered home on Antioch Avenue, said of the children's father: "I know he was trying to provide for them, but that's putting your family in extreme danger.

"It's just a sad sad change of events," Mathies said. "It really points to the fact that our society can go all around the world and we have so many people who are in need, people who are trying to provide for their families and you have a tragedy like this."

Family members said they were making funeral arrangements.

"We had a lot of church members come to the home last night, family members and friends," said Edwards, Todd's stepfather. "A gathering of people sitting back and talking, expressing condolences. Some stayed four or five hours."

The funeral for Todd and his children will be held April 18 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Viewing is at 10 a.m. and services are at 1 p.m. at the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts.

We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the Todd family. Precious lives were lost in this senseless tragedy.

Rest in peace Rodney, Tyjuziana, Cameron, Tykeria, Tynijuzia, Tyniah, Zhiheem, and Tyberyia.