A preliminary investigation showed the 18-month-old son of a Garland County circuit judge died Friday as the result of "excessive heat" after being left unattended in a hot car for an unknown amount of time, Hot Springs police said Monday afternoon.
Police responded to the intersection of Fairoaks Place and James Street at 3:13 p.m. Friday for a report of a possible deceased person, according to a police report released Monday.
Officers responded after Garland County Circuit Judge Wade Naramore called 911 about a minute earlier, police spokesman Cpl. McCrary Means said in a news release.
Police and medical personnel arrived and tried to resuscitate the child but were unsuccessful.
A statement from the Naramore family released Sunday to the The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs called the death of the judge's 18-month-old son, Thomas, a "tragic accident."
The cause of death from the state Crime Laboratory was unofficial, the release said. The Crime Lab will not release an official cause of death until toxicology reports are concluded, which should occur in the next few weeks.
The high temperature in Hot Springs on Friday was 101 degrees shortly before 5 p.m., according to National Weather Service records.
The criminal investigation is continuing as Hot Springs police interview potential witnesses, attempt to locate any video surveillance, and review 911 calls and police dashboard camera video and audio, according to the release.
"Both Mr. Naramore and his wife, along with numerous friends and family members, voluntarily came to the Police Department and were interviewed by detectives," the release said. "After the questioning, Naramore was released pending an ongoing investigation."
No criminal charges have been filed in the case.
The Garland County prosecutor petitioned the state Monday to recuse herself from the case because Naramore, a Hot Springs native, is a former deputy prosecuting attorney in Garland County.
Garland County Prosecuting Attorney Terri Harris said that because of her relationship with the Naramore family, "I cannot be involved in the investigation of the case or the prosecution of whatever charges might be filed."
"I hired him and was his boss for a time," Harris said. "The other deputy prosecutors here worked with him on a regular basis and were friends with him and his wife."
Arkansas Prosecutor Coordinator Bob McMahan said Monday afternoon that 2nd Judicial Circuit Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington of Jonesboro will be appointed as the special prosecutor in the case.
"The logistics may take a couple of days, but he will be the person who is the special prosecutor," McMahan said.
Other circuit judges are filling in this week for Naramore, who hears all juvenile cases in the county, Harris said. A special judge would likely be appointed to take over "for whatever period of time is necessary" after that.
Naramore was elected during a runoff with Cecilia Dyer in November. He replaced longtime Division 2 Judge Vicki Cook, who decided not to seek re-election last year.
Besides the appointment of a special prosecutor, the case is being handled like any other case, and "allegations the family is getting preferential treatment ... is absolutely not the case," Harris said.
Investigators are "following the same procedures with this investigation that they would with any other under similar circumstances," she said. "Particularly in deaths involving a child, there is a period of time before the investigation is concluded and a decision being made as to criminal wrongdoing."
Until Hot Springs police have had an opportunity to consult with the special prosecutor, "we will continue to withhold any further information in order to maintain the investigative integrity of this case," the news release said.
Hot Springs Police Chief David Flory said withholding investigative facts is common and not evidence that Naramore is receiving preferential treatment.
"We don't want to falsely accuse anyone, and it's not even worthy of a comment that we're withholding information because of who it is. That's ridiculous."
Information for this article was contributed by Mark Gregory, Steven Mross, Don Thomason and David Showers of The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs.
State Desk on 07/28/2015