Dad, 7 kids die as he tried to keep house warm

Maryland man was using generator after power cut

PRINCESS ANNE, MD.— A single father and his seven children were found dead in their one-storey Maryland home, and the man’s stepfather said he had been trying to keep the family warm with a gasoline-fuelled generator after the power was cut because of an outstanding bill.

Lloyd Edwards told The Associated Press his stepson, 36-year-old Rodney Todd, had bought the generator after the power was shut off to the home in Princess Anne, about 100 kilometres southeast of Annapolis.

He said those who died were Todd and Todd’s two sons and five daughters. They ranged in age from 6 to 15.

“It was just disbelief. It’s so hard. How can you understand something like this?” Edwards said. “He was an outstanding dad. To keep his seven children warm, he bought a generator, and the carbon monoxide consumed them.”

By Tuesday evening, Delmarva Power had been subpoenaed by the state’s attorney’s office and asked to document when it shut off power to the rented home.

Maryland utilities are barred from shutting off power for nonpayment from Nov. 1 through March 31 unless they file an affidavit with the Public Service Commission at least 24 hours ahead of time.

The eight bodies were discovered after a supervisor at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore contacted police Monday to report that one of her kitchen workers was missing.

Stephanie Wells told police she had not seen or spoken to Rodney Todd, 36, since March 28.

When detectives entered Todd’s home, they found his body and the bodies of his children in their beds, police Chief Scott Keller told reporters at a news conference Tuesday.

Delmarva Power said it discovered March 25 a stolen electric meter was in use at the home and disconnected it that day “for safety reasons and to comply with standard protocol.”

The home did not have legal electricity during the time Todd and his kids lived there, the utility said, adding it “did not disconnect electric service at this address for nonpayment.”

“Electric service was disconnected in October of last year at the request of the customer of record at that time,” the company said. “There was no request to reconnect service.”

Spokesman Matt Likovich said it was not clear whether the tenants or landlord connected the stolen meter.

Todd’s mother, Bonnie Edwards, said her son strived to set a good example for his children.

“There was nothing he wouldn’t do for them,” she said.

“All he was trying to do was to keep his kids warm.”