Deputies discovered Iris Chesley, 61, and her 70-year-old husband, Alfred, dead inside of their home around 4:00 Thursday afternoon.

One of Iris' co-workers at the state prison here in Bay County was concerned when she failed to show-up to work for several days.

"The home was secure when we arrived, we could hear the sounds of a television, see lights on inside," says Bay County Sheriff's Office PIO Ruth Corley.

When deputies made their way inside, they found Iris Chesley's body in the master bedroom lying on the bed.

Alfred Chesley was lying on the floor of the master bathroom by the toilet. They say he'd apparently been vomiting.

One of the couple's chihuahuas appeared to be dazed, and weakened by vomiting as well.

"Since there were no obvious signs of trauma at that time on the bodies, the deputies wondered if there may be something in the air, some type of poison due to a toxin and withdrew from the home."
But Hazmat teams tested the area and did not find any toxic gases present in the home.

The mysterious deaths have shocked and saddened the Chesley's neighbors.

Gina Chambers has known the couple for about 30 years, growing up next door.

She says neither she, nor her parents expected this to happen.

"Who does? One minute, they're here and the next minute they're gone, it's devastating for all of us, they're part of the neighborhood."

Chambers says the Chesleys were well-known for being a strong, vivacious couple who always looked after their neighbors.

"Knowing them, you would never know they were that age, they were just so young and youthful, they had a little spark to their step."

The case is now in the hands of the Medical Examiner, who is performing an autopsy and taking blood and tissue samples.

"It's a puzzle, it certainly is a puzzle, most investigations start that way so it's not unusual in that sense, the specific circumstances are a little unusual, we're concerned, we want to make sure we find out exactly what happened to these people."

"They knew a lot of people, a lot of people knew them and they're going to be so missed."

Iris Chesley retired from the Air Force in 1988, and received her college degree from Florida State in 1996.

She taught school in Wewahitchka Elementary School, Spanish at the Federal Prison in Marianna, and was teaching at the state prison in Bayou George at the time of her death.

If you have any information about this case, please contact the Bay County Sheriff's Office at (850)-747-4700.