KARK meteorologist questioned after man found dead in tub

LITTLE ROCK — A KARK meteorologist was questioned after a man he was with was found dead in a bathtub at a Maumelle residence, police said.

The cause of death has not yet been determined and Maumelle Police Department Lt. Jim Hansard said KARK meteorologist Brett Cummins is not considered a suspect. Hansard said it's too early to know whether foul play was involved in the death.

According to a police report, officers responded to 16 Village Way around 8 a.m. Monday and found the naked body of 24-year-old Dexter Williams lying on the floor of what was described as a Jacuzzi hot tub. Williams reportedly had what appeared to be a dog collar around his neck. It was connected to a silver chain.

The homeowner, identified as 36-year-old Christopher Barbour, told police Cummins had come over the night before with Williams. He said Cummins and Williams then began drinking and using illegal drugs, the report said.

Barbour reportedly told investigators all three men went into the hot tub, but that he left around 11 p.m. The next morning, Barbour heard Cummins snoring and then saw both he and Williams were still in the tub, which had no water in it, according to the report.

"After Brett awoke they discovered that Dexter was unconscious and his face was a different color," police wrote in the report. "He then explained that Brett screamed and became ill and left the bathroom and vomited on the carpet in the living room."

Cummins was not at the home when police arrived Monday morning, but he later returned and provided a statement, police said.

Hansard said he could not divulge what Cummins said because the incident remains under investigation.

He said officials were working to complete an autopsy on Williams Tuesday afternoon and that those results may shed more light on what occurred

"The big thing is the results of the Crime Lab reports," Hansard said.

No one answered at a phone number listed on the report for Cummins and no one answered the door Tuesday afternoon at his home in west Little Rock. A message left with KARK General Manager Mike Vaughn was not immediately returned.

The station did cover the incident on its website and on its newscast, noting that Cummins was in the house, that no charges had been filed and that police were investigating whether drugs and alcohol played a role in the death.

"Our Meteorologist Brett Cummins was at the home at the time of the death and we felt we should share this with our viewers," a posting on the station's website, arkansasmatters.com, said. "Brett will not be on the air as he is mourning the loss of his friend."

KARK anchor Bob Clausen read a similar report on the station's 5 p.m. newscast.

"Our thoughts naturally are with Brett and with the family and friends of Dexter Williams," he said.

The most recent post on Cummins' KARK Facebook page was a video forecast added Monday night. It featured Cummins and was posted hours after police were called to Maumelle home, although there is no indication when it was filmed.