ST. LOUIS  --

ST. LOUIS • A man and woman were found dead Wednesday afternoon inside a home in the 5200 block of Wilson Avenue that had burned, unnoticed, sometime since Tuesday night.

The homeowner's daughter, Maria Schulte, said she believes the victims are a man in his 40s, who had rented the dwelling for about 14 years, and his girlfriend. Their identities were not immediately released by officials.

Capt. Mike Pickett of the St. Louis Fire Department said it was an unusual fire in that it attracted no attention from outside the one-story brick-and-frame house in a neighborhood of tightly spaced homes. "Not even close neighbors knew anything about it," he said.

The medical examiner's office said autopsies likely will be performed today.

Pickett said the bodies, found in separate locations in the dwelling, were covered with soot but not burned. He did not say if either body had any other outward signs of injury.

Schulte, of Oakville, said she and her son, visiting from assignment in the Coast Guard, had gone to lunch nearby and stopped by the house about 2:45 p.m. to check on the renter. She said he had told her last week that he was not feeling well. She said he operated a pipe leak detection company.

After noticing charring around a window and seeing the renter's truck parked outside, Schulte called the Fire Department.

One neighbor said he had talked to the renter about 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Schulte said she felt she was meant to discover the incident, suggesting, "God sent me here."

Patrick M. O'Connell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.