Deaths of 2 men found in Columbus apartment ruled homicides

COLUMBUS (AP) — Authorities say the deaths of two men found inside a Columbus apartment on New Year’s Eve have been ruled homicides.

Police say officers went to the home just after noon Thursday after a neighbor contacted them about checking in on a resident. When they arrived, they found two men dead.

The victims have been identified as 51-year-old Rodney Peel and 53-year-old Nelson Peel. Their relationship to each other wasn’t immediately clear.

Sgt. David Sicilian of the police homicide squad told The Columbus Dispatch that the bodies had been there for a while and investigators were starting from scratch.

Police say they were the 98th and 99th homicides in Columbus in 2015.