Twins Patricia and Joan Miller Dead in Bizarre Double Death
A South Lake Tahoe community has been left baffled after learning that inseparable twin sisters were both found dead in their home from what appears to be natural causes.
Patricia and Joan Miller, who were described as friendly yet reclusive by members of their community, died at 73 in their four bedroom home where they often spent much of their time. Local law enforcement believes that their deaths are likely a reflection of their tight bond, according to the Associated Press.
"My perception is one died and the other couldn't handle it. It appears purely natural, but we are still trying to piece it all together," El Dorado County Detective Matt Harwood told AP.
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One body was found in a downstairs bedroom with the other nearby, and police have ruled out foul play as there were no signs of struggle.
The identical pair was never married and without children, which has made it difficult for law enforcement to find any close friends or family members of the Miller sisters.
"The circumstance surrounding their death is somewhat of an enigma. These two only ever had each other, and we would like, at least for their sake, to notify their family," Harwood said.
According to witnesses, the sisters, who grew up in Portland, Ore., before moving to the San Francisco area, were private loners who kept to themselves.
Joan reportedly worked in payroll at the Lake Tahoe Unified School District from 1979 to 1984, and Patricia worked in the El Dorado County's social services office during that same time with Betty Mitchell, her supervisor, who got a firsthand glimpse at their close knit bond.
"I never heard of anyone else being in either of their lives. They were inseparable and really identical. They kept things to themselves. I don't even know if they had siblings," 89-year-old Mitchell said.
