Story last updated 4:55 p.m. Jan. 31
The Santa Clara County Coroner’s office on Monday released the identities of the two people found dead by Los Altos police during a welfare check Jan. 16.
The two Los Altos residents were identified as Chris Lee Cryer, a 66-year-old female, and Steven Joe Hooper, a 74-year-old male.
The Coroner’s office has not released the manner or cause of death as of 12:05 p.m. Jan. 29.
Officers conducted a 1:20 p.m. welfare check Jan. 16 at a residence in the 200 block of West Edith Avenue in downtown Los Altos. Upon entry, officers discovered the bodies of an adult male and female.
“Time of death is estimated to be shortly before the bodies were found by officers,” according to a Jan. 18 statement by the city of Los Altos.
An obscure online publication reported a murder-suicide involving Chinese tech workers at Google who were husband and wife, but Los Altos Police Chief Angela Averiett dismissed the report.
“I have no idea how or where this news organization got this information,” she said. “We will follow up and discredit this.”
The misreporting has led to confusion among some local residents, as the inaccuracies seemingly conflated an alleged domestic violence-related death of a woman in Santa Clara with the deaths in Los Altos.
Police confirmed the case is not related to any missing persons cases in the Bay Area, and there is no threat to public safety.
The department encourages those with information to call the Los Altos Police Department (650) 947-2770, or leave an anonymous message by calling the department’s tip line (650) 947-2774.
This story will be updated as the Town Crier receives more information.
