Formal charges are expected to be filed next week against a Forrest City couple whose 11-week-old baby died of a methamphetamine overdose, a St. Francis County prosecutor said Friday.
Douglas Bokker, 35, and Sara Kiser, 37, were arrested Wednesday on a first-degree murder warrant and were held Friday in the St. Francis County jail.
Their daughter Luceilia Bokker, who was born Sept. 9, died Nov. 30 of what authorities originally said was sudden infant death syndrome.
St. Francis County Coroner Rausch Hodges said Friday that the preliminary autopsy report did not show any physical trauma or neglect. It wasn't until he received the toxicology report this week that Hodges alerted law enforcement.
"The level of meth in this baby's system," Hodges said, trailing off.
The autopsy showed that toxic levels of methamphetamine were found in Luceilia's heart, blood and stomach.
At the time of Luceilia's death, Hodges said he interviewed Kiser and completed the 30-page sudden infant death syndrome investigation reporting form required by the state.
Hodges said Kiser had "been calling me wanting to see the autopsy report."
St. Francis County Prosecuting Attorney Fletcher Long Jr. said Friday that Bokker and Kiser were arrested in district court on the warrant but have not yet been formally charged in circuit court.
"There are still some questions I'd like to have answered about this before I secure the charges for first-degree murder or other possible offenses," Long said, adding that he expects to file charges by the end of next week. "I want as much information as I can get before I go to the next step."
Douglas Bokker has previously pleaded guilty to an assault charge.
Long said neither Bokker nor Kiser have a criminal defense attorney to his knowledge, but they will be appointed one if they cannot afford one when they are formally charged.
State Desk on 05/09/2015