PRINCESS ANNE, Md., April 7 (UPI) -- A man and his seven children were found dead Monday at a house in Princess Anne, Md., of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.
Police went to the home after Rodney Eric Todd, 36, failed to show up to work. It was there that they found the bodies of Todd and his seven children, aged 6 to 16.
Princess Anne Chief Scott Keller said a generator used to power the house may have been the source of a carbon monoxide leak.
"There was no electricity in the house, and I will say that there was a generator using to run the electric in the house," Keller said.
A family friend, Stephanie Wells, told NBC News that Todd -- a food service worker at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore -- had not been able to pay the electric bill.
"I just feel that the system failed him," she said. "They didn't reach out to help him with his utility bills."
Police are waiting on a coroner's report to determine the official cause of death. No foul play is suspected.
