In a “very rare” instance, a young couple was discovered dead together at home after passing away separately from natural causes.
On October 21, 2021, Aleasha Sullivan, 32, and Joshua Sandercock, 30, were found dead in her Holcombe, Devon flat.
Despite the two fatalities being discovered at the same time and in the same location, a thorough investigation following the post-mortem revealed no evidence to imply a connection between them.
Mum Aleasha had a domestic violence protection order against Joshua at the time of her death, as a result of a charge of alleged assault against her, Plymouth Coroners Court heard during an inquest on April 20.
She had not been seen or heard from in nine days, and her support worker had expressed worry for her welfare, prompting the contact to the police.
Officers arrived at her house that morning, and when they heard nothing back, they glanced through the letterbox to see a corpse pressed up against the door, according to Devon Live.
They forced admission and discovered it to be Aleasha, who had been deceased for a few days.
After conducting a check of the maisonette, police found Joshua’s body upstairs in the living room.
Until medical tests of the two bodies indicated they had both passed away of natural causes totally independently of one another, police had first thought of the two deaths as a possible crime scene, the inquest heard.
Dr. Deborah Cook, a forensic pathologist for the Home Office, came to the conclusion that Aleasha died from a blood clot in her lungs called pulmonary thromboembolism.
“The initial and natural speculation was that the two deaths were linked. But after that detailed investigation, there is no evidence to suggest Aleasha died from anything other than a wholly natural cause.”
According to Aleasha’s medical records, she had a history of drug addiction, mental health issues, and limb clotting issues, all of which can be exacerbated by intravenous drug usage.
She reportedly experienced familial and societal problems throughout her youth, as well as exposure to drugs, violence, and abusive behaviour. She has also served time behind bars.
Aleasha, however, had been interacting with support agencies and was reportedly driven to change her circumstances and find a stable partner.
She was a very scarred individual, but her prescribing physician at Together Drug and Alcohol Services stated in a statement: “I had genuine hope for her and thought she was heading in a better direction.”
A support worker from the charity, who had reported Aleasha missing to the police because it was ‘out of character’ for her not to be in contact with any support services, added: “In the last meeting she was very much focused on the future and a fresh start.
“She wore her heart on her sleeve and was just full of character.”
Investigations concluded there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the deaths, and no signs of a disturbance at the property or any third-party involvement.
It could not be confirmed when Joshua entered the flat or how long he had been there before his death.
Mr Bird said: “Despite the unusual situation where another person was found deceased at the same address at the same time, there is no evidence after forensic, medical and police investigations to suggest the causes of death of the two individuals were in any way connected.”
“It can only be said that Aleasha probably died after October 12 and her body was not found until October 21.”
