Detectives investigate whether four people found dead in home died of fentanyl overdose

The man who found four people dead in a home of a suspected drug overdose has revealed his anguish and issued a warning.

Police are investigating whether four people found dead inside a home in Melbourne’s north overdosed from the highly potent synthetic opioid fentanyl.

About 2am on Tuesday, neighbour Cory Lewis knocked on the door of the Broadmeadows home, then peered inside a window when no one answered.

He could see the body of one of the deceased people so he broke a window to gain access to the home and made the distressing discovery.

Inside the home were the bodies of four people including his 17-year old nephew Abdul El Sayed, brother-in-law Michael Hodgkinson, 37, and two other people, a man, 32, and woman, 42.

Police and family at the scene in Broadmeadows where four bodies were found by a neighbour. Picture: NewsWire / David Crosling

Mr Lewis told reporters that he went to the home and found his family members in the house deceased.

“I found them and it’s tortured me. It may have been a drug overdose, I’m not too sure. I hope people take a lesson from it, not to fall into this type of stuff,” he said.

Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said the four people were sitting in the lounge room when they were found and some were on the floor.

Police at a house on Bicknell Court in Broadmeadows where four people were found dead. Picture: NewsWire/ Andrew Henshaw

Mr Thomas said police had not ruled out anything and were keeping an open mind as they investigated whether the four people died from a drug overdose or carbon monoxide poisoning from a heater.

He said it was highly unusual to find four people deceased in the one property.

“There is nothing at this stage to suggest there has been any acts of violence but there are some injuries we need to be able to account for,” he said.

“At this stage we don’t believe there has been any form of violence.

Police say the deaths could have been caused by a fentanyl overdose. Picture: NewsWire / David Crosling

“It is very unpleasant and for the person to have found them there, it was very confronting and traumatic, and of course for the families of the deceased.”

Police said items found at the home could be drug paraphernalia, but they needed to be examined before any conclusions could be drawn.

“A fentanyl overdose is certainly something we are mindful of and something we are aware of but cannot say definitely one way or another whether that was involved, we have to keep an open mind,” he said.