Ohio Couple's Cause Of Death Revealed

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Spirit airline pilot Brian Halye and his wife Courtney Halye, who were found dead by their children in March, died from a lethal overdose of cocaine and carfentanil - a powerful fentanyl derivative - often used to reassure to rhinos and elephants, People confirmed this Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the Montgomery County Coroner's Office in Ohio told the magazine that the couple combined the two potent substances, which killed them, which have been declared accidental.

After the couple was found dead by their children at their Centerville home, the coroner initially listed the preliminary cause of death as "consistent with a heroin or fentanyl overdose."

Brian, 36, married Courtney, 34, in 2012. They each had two sons from previous relationships: he, two daughters; and she, a son and a daughter. The children were between 9 and 13 years old. All the children are now in the care of close relatives, according to authorities.

On that fateful March 16, the children peeked into their parents' room after the couple didn't wake them up for school.

After realizing that his parents did not respond, the 13-year-old son called 911. "I just woke up and my two parents are on the ground," he told the operator.

The Halyes died a week after Brian's last flight for the airline.

Forensic experts cannot say for sure if the couple knew that the cocaine they were consuming had been mixed with carfentanil, which is 1,000 times more potent than morphine.