Police discovered three 71-year-olds after a woman reported her estranged ex-husband’s car outside her parents’ North Royalton residence.
NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio — An elderly Ohio couple and their daughter’s former husband were found dead inside the couple’s suburban Cleveland home Tuesday night after the daughter called police because she could not reach her parents and saw her estranged ex-husband’s car parked outside, authorities said.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the dead as Emilia Ciortan, Sorin Ciortan and Stefan Pascu, all 71. North Royalton police said the woman who contacted authorities told them Pascu was not welcome at her parents’ home. Officers responded shortly before 8 p.m. Nov. 10 and tried unsuccessfully to contact the homeowners before entering the residence.
Inside, officers found Sorin Ciortan dead in an upstairs area and Emilia Ciortan dead in the dining room, according to police reports cited by multiple news organizations. Police said both had apparent gunshot wounds. Authorities have not publicly released final medical examiner findings on the cause and manner of their deaths.
Officers then withdrew from the residence because Pascu’s vehicle remained outside but he had not been located, police said. The Southwest Enforcement Bureau tactical unit was called to search the home. During that operation, officers found Pascu dead in a lower-level room. Police said he had an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and that a firearm was nearby.
The daughter told police she and Pascu had been divorced for about 10 years, according to local reporting based on dispatch information and police body-camera video. She also told officers that Pascu had recently returned to the United States from Romania. North Royalton police said Pascu lived in Parma and that there were no protection orders in place.
The circumstances leading up to the deaths remain under investigation. Authorities have not announced a confirmed motive, and the available public statements do not establish precisely what occurred inside the residence before officers arrived. Police have also not released a detailed timeline showing when each person died.
The North Royalton Detective Bureau is investigating with assistance from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Police said after the tactical response that the scene had been secured and there was no continuing threat to the public.
The case remained active Wednesday as investigators worked to determine the sequence of events and the official causes and manners of death. No additional suspects or arrests had been announced.