A neighbor heard what she thought might be shots coming from near the home where a husband and wife were later found dead in Northeast Portland.

Police are investigating the deaths as a double homicide.

A family member became worried when the couple didn't answer the phone and discovered their bodies Thursday after breaking into the house at 605 N.E. 114th Ave.

The two found dead, Jerry and Helen Ephrem, both 65, were married. Autopsies were done Friday, but Portland police declined to release the cause of death, and the medical examiner's office referred all questions to police.

John Hasenberg, who has lived across the street from the couple's home for two years, called the discovery of the bodies unsettling. The only problems the neighborhood has faced in recent years before this was an unoccupied house taken over by squatters, he said.

Jerry Ephrem used to come and chat about the work Hasenberg was doing on his home, he said.

On Feb. 26, Jerry Ephrem faced a $10,835 judgment against him in Multnomah County for failing to pay Providence Medical Center and Providence Ambulatory Care for medical services provided from Jan. 11, 2008, to May 20, 2013, according to court records.

Early Friday, a lone police officer sat in his car outside the brick house.

A gold Toyota van with Oregon license plates was parked in the driveway behind a dark sedan with Washington plates. The home has an ornate white fountain in the middle of the front yard with matching lion statues on either side of the entrance to the driveway.

The couple's 2000 red Suzuki Esteem wasn't visible outside the house Friday.

"There is no suspect information and no known reason why anyone would want to hurt the victims,'' Sgt. Pete Simpson said in a news release. "The Portland Police Bureau is asking neighbors to be extra vigilant as this investigation develops.''

Police ask that anyone with information on this case, including anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the neighborhood, to contact homicide detectives.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case or others.

Leave a Crime Stoppers tip online, text CRIMES (274637) and in the subject line put 823HELP, followed by the tip, or call (503) 823-HELP (4357) and leave the tip information. Tips can be left in English or Spanish.



The lead investigators are Detective Mark Sponhauer, who can be reached at (503) 823-0416, or at mark.sponhauer@portlandoregon.gov, and Detective Chris Traynor, who can be reached at (503) 823-0449, or at christopher.traynor@portlandoregon.gov

-- Maxine Bernstein

-- Stuart Tomlinson