The cause of death for a New York father and his 2-year-old son has been determined nine months after they were found dead in their apartment, officials said.
David Conde, Sr., who died in February, suffered from “cardiovascular disease”, the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office announced earlier this week, per NBC News. David Conde, Jr. subsequently died of starvation, police added. His death was ruled an accident.
“It is believed that Mr. Conde passed away first, and the child was not able to obtain any nourishment after his father passed,” police said, according to the outlet.
The father and son’s bodies were found in their Geneva, New York, apartment on Feb. 15. They were last seen alive on Jan. 22, NBC News reported.
The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Officers had been called to Serenity Manor Apartments in February after David Sr. had not been in contact with anyone for over a week, Democrat & Chronicle reported.
When officers got to the complex, they noticed the door was locked. Officers were forced to break into the apartment after an employee was unable to open the door due to the deadbolt being locked.
Though the apartment appeared to be intact, Ontario County Sheriff’s Lt. David Cirencione said at the time that it was cold and the heat was not on, according to Democrat & Chronicle. Deputies found the father on the bed, while his son was found nearby.
“There were no signs of a struggle in the residence,” Cirencione said at the time. “We do not have any reason to believe anybody else was in the apartment when these two passed away.”
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“We just honestly do not know what caused their deaths at this time,” he added, noting that there were no signs of trauma.
“We want to do everything we can to get answers for the family so they can get closure,” Cirencione said, according to Democrat & Chronicle. “It was a very difficult scene for us to work, for all the first responders that had to go in there. This isn’t something we see every day. It’s not pleasant. It was a very disturbing scene.”
David, Sr. had custody of the toddler for much of his life, said Cirencione. He said the child’s mother was not active in his life.
Authorities said it was David, Sr.’s family who called police after they hadn’t spoken to him in days, Rochester’s ABC affiliate WHAM reported.
According to David, Jr.’s obituary, he was born with a medical condition and had just “recently learned to walk, following many surgeries and months of casts and rehabilitation.”
David, Jr. was described as “a beautiful baby boy with curly locks, that had a determined smile and sweet disposition.”
