MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The Butler County coroner and a veterans' association are conducting a search to find the families of two dead veterans who lived in Middletown.
Both men now sit in the county morgue, coincidentally with seemingly no one to remember them. No one has come forward to say either was their loved one.
Dr. Lisa Mannix is one of the few people speaking for the men.
"I hate to see someone die alone," she said.
The coroner's office has gone through all their resources with help from law enforcement and veterans' services, according to Mannix. But they haven't had any luck so far.
The first was 58-year-old Marvin Holmes, who was found in his Clinton Street apartment at the end of July. Not long after that, Larry Peterson was found in his apartment on Roosevelt Boulevard.
If no one comes forward, the Butler County Veterans Service Commission can provide up to $1,000 in burial assistance for each of the men, according to Executive Director Caroline Bier. They would then contact the National Cemetery Administration and the Dayton VA to arrange burials.
"Everyone on our staff are veterans, all of our commissioners are veterans, and we all have a soft spot in our hearts for our fellow veterans," Bier said.
Anyone with information about the families is asked to call the Butler County Coroner's Office at 513-785-5860.
