A mass drug overdose believed to have killed four people at a Melbourne home will not be investigated by the homicide squad unless there is new evidence suggesting foul play.
Abdul El Sayed, 17, Michael Hodgkinson, 32, a 42-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man died in the lounge of a unit. in the northern suburb of Broadmeadows a month ago.
On Thursday, a Victoria Police spokesman confirmed the investigation was still being conducted by local police, but ruled out foul play.
“Hume Crime Investigation Unit is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of four people in Broadmeadows last month,” it said in a statement.
‘The deaths of the four people are being treated as non-suspicious at this time.’
Locals have continued to speculate on sinister theories about the mass death tragedy, after toxicology tests revealed the presence of synthetic opioid drugs in her system.
A local man, who asked to remain anonymous, said the person supplying the lethal drugs had stolen the phones of each of the deceased.
The same person is also said to have taken gruesome photographs of the four after they were found dead.
Tributes remain at the front door of the unit where four people died
A mass drug overdose believed to have killed four people at a house in Melbourne’s Broadmeadows could be linked to a deadly new form of cocaine flooding the market
Victoria Police have declined to comment on the allegations.
“As this matter is now before the coroner, it would not be appropriate to provide further details at this time,” the spokesman said.
Just days after the tragedy, police confirmed they had found evidence that all of the victims had taken some form of synthetic drug.
“Preliminary tests have confirmed the presence of a synthetic opioid in the system of all four individuals,” police said in a statement.
‘No presence of fentanyl has been detected at this time.’
The revelation followed a drug alert from Victoria’s Department of Health, which warned that cocaine laced with protonitazene, a new synthetic opioid, was being distributed across the state.
The drug is believed to be 100 times more potent than heroin.
“Serious damage has recently occurred in Melbourne associated with a white powder sold as cocaine containing protonitazene,” the warning states.
‘The product appears to produce loss of consciousness, respiratory depression and potentially life-threatening hypoxia (insufficient oxygen for normal functioning).’
Michael Hodgkinson was among four people who died in a suspected overdose in Broadmeadows last month.
Abdul El Sayed, 17 (right), left behind his partner and 18-month-old daughter.
Abdul’s uncle, Cory Lewis, outside the unit after the shocking deaths.
Police were initially seen entering the property with the aid of oxygen tanks amid fears the four may have been poisoned with some form of gas.
Carbon monoxide poisoning was quickly ruled out after a dog was found alive in the home.
Abdul’s uncle, Cory Lewis, also told Daily Mail Australia that he believed his nephew had died from some kind of drug overdose.
Mr Lewis discovered the gruesome scene and reported the incident to the police.
“I walked right in and didn’t smell anything,” Cory said.
The deaths coincided with an announcement by the Victorian government that it would introduce drug testing, following 46 overdose deaths due to new synthetic opioids since 2022.
