The Aspen Times reported Thursday night on its website that a “combination of errors” in the construction of a $9 million mountain estate likely led to the deaths of a Denver family of four from carbon-monoxide poisoning in an Aspen home last weekend.
The paper quoted a Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office news release that said mechanical, electrical and plumbing failures contributed to deaths of Parker Lofgren, 39; his wife, Caroline Lofgren, 42; and their children, Owen, 10, and Sophie, 8. They were found Friday at the 3-acre estate on Popcorn Lane east of Aspen, owned by Jonathan Thomas. Public records show Thomas, an Aspen resident, owns or has recently owned seven properties on Popcorn Lane. He has not been available for comment.
His representatives accompanied building officials and experts hired by Pitkin County to investigate Thursday, according to the news release quoted by the Aspen Times.
The family’s funeral is set for 10 a.m. today at Church of Good Shepherd, 2626 E. Seventh Ave. Parkway in Denver.
Marie Munday, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, did not return calls for comment Thursday.
The news release was not available on the Sheriff’s Office website.
The Sheriff’s Office told The Aspen Times that no more information would be made public until late next week.
“This is an extremely tragic incident which we take very seriously,” Ryan stated in the news release quoted by The Aspen Times. “The investigation will be a time-consuming endeavor.”
The state health department on Thursday urged Coloradans to install carbon-monoxide detectors in their homes to prevent a similar tragedy. Most detectors cost less than $10, according to the agency.
“Carbon-monoxide detectors are as important to home safety as smoke detectors, and each home should have at least one detector in an area near individual bedrooms,” Therese Pilonetti, a program manager for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Consumer Protection Division, said in a statement.
Malfunctioning heaters, furnaces and fireplaces can trap carbon monoxide in homes, health officials warn.
“Have your home heating systems, including chimneys and flues, inspected each year for proper operations and leakage,” Pilonetti stated.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
