A grim scene in a parking lot outside The Miriam Hospital on Providence's East Side has police trying to piece together how two people ended up dead in a parked car on Wednesday evening. Officers found the bodies inside a white Kia in the hospital lot, and city officials said it was not immediately clear how long the pair had been there. The Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiner is now tasked with determining the cause and manner of death.
Police: Scene Under Investigation, Foul Play Not Suspected
Providence police said officers were called to The Miriam for a possible dead-on-arrival report and found two unresponsive people in the front seats of a white Kia with Rhode Island plates, according to WJAR. Chief Oscar Perez told reporters that investigators were on scene and that the case remains under investigation. Authorities said the deaths do not appear to be suspicious while the medical examiner completes its work.
Hospital Operations Continued Without Interruption
The individuals were discovered around 6:28 p.m. near Seventh and Summit streets, and detectives are "actively working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident," according to The Boston Globe. A spokesperson for Brown University Health, which operates The Miriam, told the Globe that patient care continued without interruption. Investigators were seen working at the scene alongside personnel from the Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiner.
Cold Weather Clouds Timeline
Local outlets noted that Providence temperatures did not rise above freezing until Wednesday, a detail that can complicate estimates of time of death, per NBC Boston. Some neighborhood reporting suggested the vehicle may have been parked for days before officers found the bodies, though police say they will rely on autopsy results to determine the timing; that detail was reported by GoLocalProv. Investigators have not yet released the identities of the people found.
What’s Next
Providence detectives said they are "actively working to determine what happened" and will release additional information when it becomes available, according to The Boston Globe. The Rhode Island Office of the State Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy, and investigators have urged anyone with information about the case to contact the Providence Police Department.
