Police said there was no threat to the public as investigators worked to identify the two people and determine how they died.
DETROIT — Police are investigating after a man and woman were found dead Thursday night inside a home on Detroit’s northwest side, where neighbors said they had noticed a strong odor in the area for about two weeks before officers arrived.
Officers were called at about 9:30 p.m. Aug. 20 to a residence in the 15500 block of Stoepel Street, according to the Detroit Police Department. The man and woman were found dead inside the home. Police said there was no threat to the public and that investigators were working with the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office to identify them.
Authorities had not released the names or ages of either person as of late Friday. Police also had not publicly announced their causes or manners of death, identified a suspect or reported an arrest. Investigators had not disclosed what may have happened inside the home or whether they had established a motive.
Neighbors told CBS Detroit that they had not heard gunfire but had noticed a strong odor near the property before the bodies were found. One neighbor, identified by the station as Tracy, said she had been aware of the smell for about two weeks and had filed a complaint with the city more than a week before police arrived.
Other residents also told the station they had noticed the odor. A CBS Detroit crew reporting from the neighborhood Friday said the smell remained noticeable while officers continued entering and leaving the property. Police had not publicly said whether the odor provided any indication of when the man and woman died.
Authorities also had not said what prompted the original call to the Stoepel Street residence. The available police information confirmed only that officers were dispatched to the home Thursday night and found the two people dead inside.
The investigation continued Friday as detectives and medical examiner personnel worked to determine the identities of the man and woman and establish the circumstances surrounding their deaths. Officials had not released information about evidence recovered from the residence or provided a timeline for when the deaths may have occurred.
Although CBS Detroit categorized its coverage as a homicide investigation, authorities had not publicly released findings establishing how either person died in the information reviewed. The causes and manners of death therefore remained undetermined pending additional findings from investigators and the medical examiner.
No further information about the two people, a possible suspect or the circumstances of the deaths had been announced by early Saturday. Detroit police continued the investigation, while the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office worked to identify the man and woman and determine how they died.
Author note: Last updated August 22, 2026.