Mixed drug overdose killed two found in Coralville hotel

CORALVILLE - The two Florida residents found dead in a Coralville hotel last month died from an accidental heroin and prescription drug overdose.

The Coralville Police Department responded to the Suburban Inn, 2491 Holiday Road, the evening of Dec. 9, 2014 after hotel staff discovered two bodies in one of the rooms. The deceased were later identified as Penny L. Herman, 44; and John J. Tromba, 41, both of Port St. Lucia, Fla.

On Thursday, a news release from Coralville Police Chief Barry Bedford and Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness stated that the victims both died from mixed drug intoxication. The two drugs that contributed to their death were heroin and Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication more commonly known by the brand name of Xanax.

The release states police found drug paraphernalia and white powder in the room where they were staying. Authorities were informed this week by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation that the white powder was heroin.

Bedford said Thursday night the pair appeared to have taken the drugs consensually. Their manner of death was ruled accidental by the medical examiner.

'There's nothing to indicate they intended to kill themselves,” he said.

Bedford said he didn't know whether it was specifically the heroin or the heroin acting in concert with the Alprazolam that contributed to their deaths. The bodies were 'significantly decomposed,” and Bedford said he didn't know how long they were dead before their bodies were discovered.

'It could be as much as a week,” Bedford said.

Heroin jumps have surged both in Johnson County and statewide in recent years. In July 2014, the Johnson County Department of Public Health reported they had seen 10 overdoses so far that year. The previous high was nine, in all of 2012.

Bedford said police are trying to determine where the heroin came from in hopes of making any arrest.

'We want to follow any leads in that direction as far as we can,” he said. 'We've looked at that and we'll continue to look at that. We'll take all of this into account and see where this leads us.”