Lewis and Carol Carton, a well-known couple in the Somerset community and relatives to a late Pulaski county sheriff have died due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. The two were pronounced dead by the Pulaski County Coroner on Friday evening.
The Pulaski County Sheriff's Department says the deaths are being ruled as accidental, but will await the results of an autopsy. According to county officials, a vehicle was left running and unattended inside the couple's garage which would have likely caused the carbon monoxide poisoning.
Maj. Jeff Hancock of the Pulaski County Sherriff's Dept. said a preliminary autopsy report will be provided to the county coroner's office by the state office in Frankfort.
“It usually takes a month or two, but the coroner's office here will get a preliminary report quickly and we will be able to see,” Hancock said.
News of the couple’s unexpected death left Somerset community members in shock. The couple was well-known and involved in the community. Lewis was an honorary deputy and worked at the Southern Oaks Funeral Home and Kentucky Lottery. He was the son of a police chief and the brother of Pulaski County Sheriff Sam Catron, who was killed by a man hired by his political opponent in 2002.
Lewis had attended and spoken at memorial events honoring his father and brother throughout the years, according to the Commonwealth-Journal. Carol Catron was a member of Flat Lick Baptist Church where she also served as treasurer. She retired from the Pulaski County School System.
Hancock said the couple will be greatly missed by the community and law enforcement officials.
“We’re heartbroken. Our prayers go out to the family and the community that is suffering from this loss and, of course, his police family here,” Hancock said.
Funeral services for the couple will be Thursday in Somerset.
