Running car in garage led to carbon monoxide poisoning of Johnson County couple: Police
The carbon monoxide poisoning that killed a 32-year-old Johnson County high school coach and sent her wife to the hospital last week was caused by a car left running in the couple’s garage, according to police.
On Sept. 29, police officers were called to perform a welfare check at the Lenexa home of Kenna Kobin-Campbell, a coach at Shawnee Mission North High School, and Katie Kobin. Both were found to have been poisoned by the deadly gas, leaving Kobin-Campbell dead along with their two dogs and cat.
Master Police Officer Danny Chavez of Lenexa told The Star on Friday that the car’s engine was no longer running and its gas tank was empty when police and firefighters arrived. A carbon monoxide detector in the home was sounding at the time, Chavez said in a written statement.
Police continued to investigate the case on Friday. There were no obvious signs of foul play, Chavez said, but detectives continued to consider that possibility as well as suicide and accidental death.
The death of Kobin-Campbell was announced this week in a letter to those with students attending Shawnee Mission North. Principal David Ewers said the news was devastating for the staff and the school community, saying Kobin-Campbell was a “cherished member of the North family.”
In an interview with The Star this week, Tammy Jo Smith-King, her mother-in-law, said she received news that Kobin-Campbell had died and Kobin was in the hospital.
“That’s when my world fell apart,” Smith-King said.
Smith-King said the pair were soulmates who first met about five years ago and tied the knot in September 2020. She described her daughter-in-law as a loving, kind person whose daughter was made “whole and happy” through their relationship.
As Kobin spent days in the intensive care unit, Smith-King said doctors told her the carbon monoxide poisoning had caused a heart attack.
She was still recovering, making occasional responsive gestures, though it remained unclear this week whether she suffered brain damage, Smith-King said.
Smith-King said their family has been told by authorities that the carbon monoxide detector in their home was likely out of earshot. The gas is colorless and odorless, and accidental exposures result in 420 deaths across the country on average each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the wake of the tragedy, the couple’s family is warning others to take precautions and follow national guidelines concerning the placement and maintenance of the detectors. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that carbon monoxide detectors be placed in every home’s sleeping quarters and on each level.
The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton and Andrea Klick contributed to this report.
