Police have not determined how the men died after officers responding to a neighbor’s odor complaint found them inside a Downey Street residence.
HOUSTON, Texas — Houston police are awaiting autopsy results after two men were found dead inside a north Houston home where a neighbor had reported a foul odor, leaving investigators with unanswered questions about the men’s identities and causes of death.
Officers responded to 11617 Downey Street about 5:15 p.m. Sept. 14 after receiving a report of a person down, according to the Houston Police Department. Police said the call came after a neighbor noticed an odor coming from the residence. Officers found two men unresponsive inside, and Houston Fire Department paramedics pronounced both dead at the scene.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences was working to verify the identities of the two men and determine how they died. Houston police said those findings remained pending in their latest public statement. Authorities have not announced that either death was a homicide, and no suspect or arrest has been identified in connection with the case.
Local television reports said officers forced their way into the home after arriving. FOX 26 reported that a woman in the neighborhood said her husband had gone to check on the residence and saw two bodies through a window. Police have not publicly said how long the men had been dead before they were discovered.
Neighbors interviewed by FOX 26 said they believed the men were brothers who had lived at the property for decades. They said the men had not been seen since about Sept. 7. Those accounts have not been confirmed by police, who have publicly described the deceased only as two males pending formal identification.
Neighbors also told the station that three brothers had previously lived at the home and that one had moved out recently. Authorities have not confirmed the relationship between the men found inside or whether they were the people neighbors associated with the property.
The absence of a confirmed cause of death remains central to the investigation. Police have released no finding explaining what happened inside the house before officers arrived and have not announced evidence showing that another person was involved. Autopsy findings could help investigators determine whether the deaths resulted from criminal activity, natural causes or another circumstance.
HPD Homicide Division detectives G. Herrera and R. Barcak are handling the investigation. Police said anyone with information about the deaths can contact the department’s Homicide Division as investigators await the forensic examinations and formal identifications.
Author note: Last updated September 19, 2026.