Sheriff's Office Seeks Help Finding Relatives Of Deceased Twins
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE (CBS13) - The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office is asking the public's assistance in locating the next of kin of two elderly twins who were found dead in their South Lake Tahoe home.
Patricia and Joan Miller, 73, were discovered deceased in their South Lake Tahoe residence on Feb. 26. A definitive cause of death has not been determined, however, foul play has been ruled out. One of the twins was found in a downstairs bedroom and the other in the hallway just outside.
The cause and manner of death is still being investigated by detectives from the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and South Lake Tahoe Police Department.
The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office does not routinely release the names of deceased individuals without first contacting the next of kin, but this case is unique, the department said.
"My perception is one died and the other couldn't handle it," said Detective Matt Harwood, who has been unable to identify any close friends or family members to inform of the sisters' deaths. "It appears purely natural, but we are still trying to piece it all together."
The sisters' shrouded lives has proved difficult, Harwood said.
"The circumstance surrounding their death is somewhat of an enigma," he said. "These two only ever had each other, and we would like, at least for their sake, to notify their family."
Sheriff's detectives have been unable to locate any relatives of Patricia and Joan. With the assistance of longtime friends and acquaintances, detectives have learned the twins were entertainers in the Bay Area. They regularly appeared on a weekly television show called "The Hoffman Hayride" in the 1950s. They also entertained troops at several military bases.
Patricia and Joan were originally from Portland, Oregon, and reportedly never married. They were nearly always dependent on one another their entire lives, the sheriff's office said.
Information suggests the twins might have living relatives in the Portland area, but detectives have not been able to confirm that.
Anyone with information regarding Patricia and Joan Miller is asked to contact Detective Harwood at (530) 573-3015.\
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)
