Two persons were found dead early Sunday morning in a mobile home on Highland Avenue, the possible victims of an accidental drug overdose, according to Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks.
The sheriff identified the victims as Frances Renee Nance, 39, and Charles Richard Williams Jr., 23.
Nance’s home address was the trailer at 1802 Highland Ave. Williams’ address was listed as 1809 Central Ave., Banks said.
Leflore County Deputy Coroner Will Gnemi said this morning that the bodies have been taken to the state Crime Lab in Jackson, where autopsies will be performed to establish the cause of death.
The sheriff said that Nance’s 21-year-old nephew, Virgil Akins, told investigators that Nance and Williams overdosed on a combination of Xanax and Methadone. They also had been drinking pina coladas.
“Xanax and Methadone is a popular thing these days,” Banks said.
Akins, who also lived at the trailer, notified authorities Sunday of the deaths.
“We got a call around 10 o’clock yesterday morning,” Banks said today. “A man and woman were in bed. They died in their sleep.”
Banks said the bodies did not show any signs of foul play.
The sheriff said he’s awaiting a toxicology report on the bodies as well as autopsy results.
Akins, who was being held this morning for further questioning, told authorities he also participated in the drug use, according to Banks.
Two of Nance’s children, ages 15 and 14, were also in the trailer at the time of the incident, Banks said.
The sheriff said Akins told investigators that Nance, Williams and he were sharing one bed while the teenagers slept on a couch in the living room.
When Akins awoke, he began playing a Playstation video game in the bedroom. It was only later that he noticed that Nance and Williams were dead, Banks said.
• Contact Bob Darden at bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
