Seattle Florist, Son Found Dead

Toxicology tests have been ordered in the deaths of a father and son found yesterday in the father's Mercer Island home.

Joseph Ness Peha, 67, who owned Ness Flowers in Seattle's University District, was found dressed in his pajamas, lying in his bed in the east wing of the home. His 36-year-old son, Ness Joseph Peha, also known as Jay Peha, was discovered lying on the floor of the garage.

In the garage, a car was found with its ignition on and keys in it, but the engine was not running, said a spokesman for the King County medical examiner's office. The presence of exhaust, and soot stains on garage walls, led investigators to believe the vehicle's engine had been running, the spokesman said.

There were no signs of physical violence, said Mercer Island police Detective Sgt. Jim Meyers.

Autopsies were scheduled for this morning. Results of toxicology tests - which look for traces of drugs, alcohol or gases - may not be known for several days to a few weeks.

The spokesman for the medical examiner's office said at least one of the deaths may have been accidental. The elder Peha, who in the past had suffered heart problems, did not appear to be the victim of foul play. A strong odor of exhaust was in the bedroom and throughout the home, the spokesman said.

Meyers said police were called to the Peha residence in the 4700 block of 90th Avenue Southeast just after 8 a.m. yesterday because Joseph Peha's wife, who was visiting a daughter in California, was worried. She couldn't reach her husband by telephone.

Police found all the doors and windows to the house locked, with no sign of forced entry. Nothing in the house appeared to have been disturbed.

The last time Joseph Peha was seen alive was Sunday in his flower shop, Meyers said. The U District shop had been operated by family members since the 1940s.

The younger Peha lived in an apartment in Bellevue, said a sister, Renee Moore of Redmond. He was separated from his wife last summer and had been despondent, the sister said.

Moore said it was not unusual for the son to visit their parents' home, and because Joseph Peha's wife was out of town, the son had spent the weekend at the Mercer Island home.