DENVER—A family friend says a Colorado sheriff’s deputy may have suffered a heart attack before a crash that killed him and five of his 12 foster children.
Pastor Eric Kilborn said Wednesday that an autopsy showed a major blockage of blood to Howard Mitchell’s heart. Kilborn says the coroner hasn’t released the cause of death.
Kilborn and Mitchell’s wife, Melody, spoke at a news conference in Denver six days after the crash in eastern Colorado. The Mitchells’ seven other foster children were injured.
The Mitchells have a state-licensed foster home in Kit Carson, 130 miles southeast of Denver.
Melody Mitchell says she loves being a foster mother and has no intention of quitting. State officials say the family will keep its license.
