Meth fumes may be death's cause

A man is dead after apparently inhaling toxic fumes from a meth lab here, Sheriff Sid Hebert said Saturday afternoon.

"Right now I have a dead 36-, 37-year-old," said Dr. James Falterman, parish coroner. "Preliminary indications are that it was a drug-related death but I won't know that for sure until some rather extensive forensic testing is done."

Falterman said it may be a couple of days before results of the autopsy are known.

Officials did not release the name of the deceased pending notification of his family.

Hebert said the 911 Communication Center was contacted just after 10:30 a.m. Saturday by the owner of the house at 817 Julia St. According to records, the owner of the house, who also was not identified, had gone to the residence to speak with the tenant.

"The caller stated that, when she opened the front door, she saw the tenant lying on the couch in the front living area and (he) appeared to be dead," Hebert said in a statement released Saturday. "She immediately called the sheriff's office to report the incident."

Hebert said deputies responding to the call "immediately realized that the death of this person may be linked to the inhalation of toxic fumes."

Deputies called for the narcotics team, that arrived equipped with self-contained body air suits. After entering the house, narcotics officers found that the deceased had possession of an assortment of chemicals commonly used in the processing of methamphetamine.

"It is believed that the victim was in the process of formulating chrystal meth when he died," Hebert said in the press release.

Investigators called the Louisiana State Police Hazardous Materials team to aid in the investigation.

Hebert said his office, in conjunction with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, will "conduct an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of the man" and if anyone else was involved.

The area immediately surrounding 817 Julia Street was evacuated for a short time. The residents were allowed back in after sheriff's officials determined that it was safe.