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Eureka city officials have shuttered the Lamplighter Inn on Broadway indefinitely pending an investigation into two deaths at the motel.

Reached for additional comment this afternoon, EPD spokesperson Rachel Sollom told the Outpost that police responded to two separate calls for a suspected overdose at the motel on the afternoons of Feb. 21 and Feb. 26. In each case, responding officers located two victims, one of whom was determined to be deceased at the scene and one who was sent to the hospital for treatment. However, Sollom said there “was no evidence at the scene indicating an overdose” at either incident.

Sollom confirmed the two deaths, but could not comment on the status of the people who were hospitalized. She could not comment on whether the deaths occurred in the same motel rooms or whether the victims were local or from out of the area. 

“There is no foul play suspected,” Sollom said, adding that Humboldt Bay Fire and city personnel closed the motel “due to safety concerns” after the second death was discovered on Feb. 26. “There is currently no danger to the public.”

EPD has not launched a criminal investigation into the matter as of yet. Asked why not, Sollom said, “The reasons [for the deaths] are not unknown, they are not releasable and are not criminal in nature.”

Calls to the Lamplighter Inn this afternoon did not go through.

We’ll update this post when we know more.

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