Update: Officials identify 2 men found dead inside rural Prosser home

The men found dead in a Prosser home on Tuesday have been identified as a man who lived at the house and a man from Richland.

A roommate discovered the two bodies at 10 a.m. inside the manufactured home at 103205 Old Inland Empire Highway.

They are Paul E. Hines, 55, and Ronald D. Brotherton, 63, according to Benton County Sgt. Horacio Gonzalez.

Brotherton lived at the home in a rural area southeast of Prosser, and Hines was a Richland resident, he said.

Investigators reported finding evidence that illegal drugs had been used in the home but they have yet to determine if that’s what killed them, said a news release.

Investigators are still trying to determine what types of drugs were at the house, Gonzalez said.

Benton County detectives believe the men were alone when they died, and there were no signs of violence.

Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said they are screening the men to see if they have drugs in their system before determining whether to conduct a full autopsy.

Anyone with information on the deaths is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 509-735-6555 or the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.

This story was originally published December 3, 2024 at 5:14 PM.