Two people were found dead outside in Knox County over the weekend as a powerful winter storm tore through the region, county officials said. Authorities have not released the victims’ names or the exact locations where they were discovered, and investigators are still working to determine how the deaths occurred. The Knox County Regional Forensic Center said both cases remain under active review while medical exams continue.
According to WVLT, a spokesperson for the forensic center said staff are waiting on toxicology results and autopsy reports before ruling on the cause of death and noted it is too early to say whether the storm itself played a role. The outlet reported that no additional information had been released.
Storm’s Reach And Toll
The deaths in Knox County unfolded as a colossal winter storm pounded much of the country, dumping heavy snow and ice and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of customers, according to reporting by the Associated Press. National coverage detailed multiple weather-related deaths in several states tied to exposure and storm-related accidents.
Local Response And Warming Centers
As the deep freeze set in, local agencies opened warming centers for residents without heat and concentrated road crews on critical routes. The Knox County Regional Forensic Center had staff on standby and urged residents to check in on vulnerable neighbors, The Knoxville Focus reported.
What Investigators Say Comes Next
The forensic center said toxicology testing and autopsy findings will be crucial in determining whether the two deaths were connected to the winter storm, and officials have not given a timeline for when those results will be available, WVLT reported. For now, the cases remain under active investigation, and the county has not identified the deceased individuals…