Toxic Gases Blamed for Iowa Family’s Death in Mexican Condo

Four members of an Iowa family whose bodies were recently found in a condominium in Mexico died of inhalation of toxic gases, the authorities said on Saturday.

Kevin Sharp, 41; his wife, Amy, 38; and their children, Sterling, 12, and Adrianna, 7, had been vacationing in Akumal, a small coastal town on the Yucatán Peninsula, the authorities said on Friday.

The state prosecutor’s office of Quintana Roo, where Akumal is, said on Twitter on Saturday that the cause of death was suffocation by inhalation of toxic gases, ruling out violence or suicide. The statement said investigators had not determined what type of gas was involved.

It said the four had probably died 36 to 48 hours before they were found on Friday. Local officials and firefighters inspected the room on Saturday and are preparing a report, the statement said.

Immediate family members reported the Sharps missing to the Creston Police Department in Iowa around noon on Friday, the department said.

In posts on social media, family members said the Sharps had been expected to return on March 21 after about a week in Mexico.

Kelly Franklin, an English professor, said Amy Sharp was the first person she met when she moved to Creston in 2013.

“She told it like it was. You knew where you stood with her,” Ms. Franklin said, adding that Ms. Sharp “was such a good friend.”

She added that her son, James, 12, was friends with Sterling and her daughter, Violet, 8, was friends with Adrianna.

“James wants everyone to know that Sterling was kind and really silly, and that he was a friend to everyone,” Ms. Franklin said. “He also wants everyone to know that Sterling was the most athletic” of all their friends.

She remembered Adrianna as a spirited child who enjoyed drama and dance, adding, “My daughter Violet has been very sad to know that she won’t be dancing with her friend.”

Luis Avila, the president of the Adams County Fair and Racing Association in Corning, Iowa, said he had known Mr. Sharp, who was a stock car racer and a board member for the association, for about a decade. “He was a good family man,” he said.

“It isn’t going to be the same without him and the kids, the family,” Mr. Avila added. “It’s just a big shock.”

A vigil for the family was held on Saturday night at the speedway where the Sharp family used to gather to watch Mr. Sharp race his stock car, No. 2.

About 300 people attended the ceremony in Corning and raised two fingers alongside their candles, Mr. Avila said. There was music, a sermon, and speeches in memory of the family. Relatives of the Sharps were “very touched by what went on,” he added. “It was just a great thing to do for them.”