NEWPORT — State and local police are investigating a “suspicious death,” but authorities said on Tuesday there is no threat to the general public.
“All involved parties have been identified and there is no threat to the public stemming from this incident,” Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald said in a news release on Tuesday afternoon.
The statement said more information will be released on Wednesday following an autopsy.
Police in Newport cordoned off a house at the corner of Maple Street and Paradise Road on Tuesday afternoon, and at least one police officer stood guard outside a shed on the property into the evening hours.
Officers positioned their cruisers on either end of Maple Street in front of the home, and police closed Maple Street east of the intersection with Paradise Road.
Newport Police Chief James Burroughs said the State Police Major Crime Unit would handle the investigation.
He declined to answer any questions about the circumstances that led to the investigation.
Assistant Attorney General Ben Agati has been assigned to the matter. He too declined to comment, outside of the news releases.
A neighbor said a couple named Graham and Peggy Clarke have lived at the home for decades. Assessing records indicate a George and Margaret Clarke transferred ownership of the home to two daughters, Kaara Gonyo and Darlene Reid, in 2016 as part of their estate planning. Attempts to reach them on Tuesday evening were unsuccessful.
Maple Street resident Beulah Benson said she has known the family for decades. Her grandson, Joe Benson, has too.
When the Bensons saw police cordoning off the area, they said they both knew something was wrong but weren’t privy to any details.
Joe Benson called the Clarkes “quiet, nice people.”
The situation piqued the interest of several residents, who walked up and down the surrounding streets to survey the scene.
The neighborhood is typically a quiet one, the Bensons said.
As night fell, State Police’s Major Crime Unit team had arrived on scene. At least a half dozen men and women in green tactical suits canvassed the property, including the main home and outbuildings.
Jordan Cuddemi can be reached at jcuddemi@vnews.com or 603-727-3248.