ST. LOUIS – An investigation is underway after two sisters were found dead inside a north St. Louis home Tuesday morning.
The St. Louis Fire Department responded to the 3100 block of Whittier around 9:30 a.m. where the women were found.
The fire department said this is being investigated as either a murder-suicide or a double homicide. Fire officials said a gun was found near the crime scene.
The deceased women were found by a boyfriend of one of the sisters.
Wednesday morning, St. Louis police identified the victims as Ruth Portegee, 55, and Loretta Portegee, 49. Ruth sustained a gunshot wound. The cause of death has not been released for either sister.
Robert Mitchell lives across the street from the home where the sisters died.
Mitchell said Ruth cared for her younger sister for years. Lortetta was disabled.
Mitchell said Ruth recently lost her job and was depressed and under a lot of pressure before her death.
"Ruth was a nice person. She was working and everything. She lost her job about a month ago and it went downhill from there," Mitchell said.
Mitchell said it breaks his heart knowing his neighbors are no longer a part of his life.
"They were nice people and I'm going to miss them,” he said.
Police are still investigating the case but call the deaths suspicious.
Hazmat detection equipment discovered hydrogen cyanide inside the home. Hydrogen cyanide can be made when household materials or chemicals are mixed or burned and the combination is deadly.
Just to give you an idea of how dangerous hydrogen cyanide is, it's classified as a chemical weapon. It was used during world war one and in concentration camps during World War II. Some products made of plastic, wool, paper, cotton and silk may produce hydrogen cyanide when they’re burned.
