Three male deaths investigated at Praxis Landmark Recovery facility southeast of Mishawaka

SOUTH BEND — Three July deaths of male patients in less than a week at Praxis Landmark Recovery Facility, southeast of Mishawaka, and a fourth suspected overdose case has prompted an investigation by the St. Joseph County Police Department and coroner's office.

County investigators are handling all four incidents after a series of suspected overdoses that began on July 3 at the site and ended Sunday evening with a suspected suicide.

A suspected overdose case on July 4 in which a man survived also is being investigated, officials said in a news release.

Related: Naloxone awareness grant passes 9-0 after council addresses 'equity' concerns

According to the release, county police and Penn Township first responders were called about 12:30 p.m. July 3 to Praxis Landmark Recovery, 60257 Bodnar Blvd., on reports of a dead male patient. There, police said Seth M. Jones, 19, of Montpelier, Ind., was found dead, and the county police and coroner's office began its investigation.

At 7 a.m. July 4, officers and first responders again were called out to the facility to find William Breda, 46, of Griffith, Ind., dead. Authorities said that Breda and Jones were being housed in rooms across the hall from one another, and investigators and the coroner's office began their second death investigation.

Later, on July 4, police and Penn Township first responders again were called at about 1 p.m. on reports of a possible overdose of a 22-year-old male being treated at the facility. Police and first responders revived the man with three doses of naloxone and took him to a local hospital for treatment. He survived.

But Penn Fire and EMS responders again were called to 60257 Bodnar Blvd. at about 9 p.m. Sunday on reports of a smoke alarm being triggered. Once there, they found the body of a 28-year-old deceased man. County police and the coroner's office's investigators that were called in said initial indications are that the male had committed suicide.

Investigators are seeking surveillance video from these cases and have ordered toxicology reports as part of their investigations, according to the news release.

More: Fear of 'rainbow fentanyl' unfounded, but overdose deaths on the rise in St. Joseph County

Meanwhile, officials at Landmark Recovery issued a statement on Monday night, according to WNDU-TV, saying they are working closely with authorities in their investigation. The facility also is doing its own internal probe into what has happened.

The statement says officials "are saddened to share that we had 3 patients pass away at our Praxis facility," but federal HIPAA and other regulations prohibited the company from further discussion of the incident.

Praxis of South Bend is owned and operated by Landmark Recovery and is a male-only rehabilitation center offering the full continuum of care for drug and alcohol addictions and co-occurring disorders, according to a posting on its website.

Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@sbtinfo.com.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Praxis Landmark Revovery facility deaths being investigated