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