5:25 P.M. UPDATE:
Photographs of Thomas Naramore’s lifeless, discolored body presented Tuesday to the jury “made it real,” prosecuting attorney Thomas Young told reporters after the second day of the negligent homicide trial of the boy's father.
Meanwhile, Garland County Circuit Judge Wade Naramore’s attorney, Erin Cassenelli, denounced the introduction of the photos, as the defense had previously done leading up to his trial this week.
The first day of testimony from witnesses called by the prosecution, Cassenelli said, was emotional and “very hard” on not only the Naramore family but also herself.
Young said that, while the defense didn’t want the 12-member jury to see the images, they were important for the state to develop its case.
In court Tuesday afternoon, Naramore and members of his family could be seen sobbing at descriptions of authorities examining Thomas, who was not breathing and had developed blue discoloration at the time of their arrival. At times, Naramore covered his face with his hands, unable to hold back audible crying.
Before court adjourned around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the court heard brief testimony from two law enforcement officials — Garland County Coroner Stuart Smedley and Hot Springs police officer Brent Scrimshire.
About three witnesses are set to be called Wednesday before the defense presents its case in the trial. The number of people called to testify will depend on timing, Young said, adding that the progression of the case has gone at a slower rate than he anticipated.
Several witnesses will then be called by Naramore’s attorneys, Cassenelli said, also uncertain of how many would be called.
Court will be back in session at 9 a.m. Wednesday before Judge John Langston in Garland County Circuit Court for the third day of the negligent homicide trial.
Read Wednesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
4:30 P.M. UPDATE:
Photos of 18-month-old Thomas Naramore's body were shown to the jury as the trial of his father, Garland County Circuit Court Judge Wade Naramore, continued Tuesday afternoon.
Mark Rash, a supervisor with the Lifenet ambulance service, was the first paramedic to arrive at 120 Fair Oaks Place on July 24, 2015. The house belongs to a neighbor of Wade Naramore and is where he took Thomas after finding him in the car.
Rash told the jury he examined the child and determined that he wasn't breathing. Rash also noticed blue discoloration around Thomas' mouth from lack of oxygen, and he found rigor mortis in Thomas' chin and ankles. After Rash found lividity, which occurs when blood stops flowing and turns skin blue, he made the determination that he would not try to resuscitate Thomas.
As Rash described his examination, Naramore sobbed. He is charged with negligent homicide in Thomas' death.
Before Rash took the stand as a state's witness, the attorneys questioned Hot Springs police detective Nathan Rhines.
Rhines said he did not search the trunk of the car, the glove box or the console of the Toyota Avalon belonging to Wade Naramore. When questioned by the defense, he said he would typically search the trunk. He also said he was familiar with the facts of the case when he searched the car — that Thomas had died when the car got too hot.
Rhines told the jury he took photos of a small pair of shoes and a toy shovel that were sitting in Thomas' car seat. He did not log those items, saying they wouldn't have been sent to the state Crime Lab. When prompted, Rhines agreed with the state's attorney that the shoes and toy shovel did not contribute to Thomas' death.
The trial resumed at 4 p.m.
Check back for updates on this developing story and read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
2:28 P.M. UPDATE:
After returning from lunch, the jury was shown photos from the house where Thomas Naramore was taken after his father, Garland County Circuit Court Judge Wade Naramore, found him in his car.
The photos taken at 120 Fair Oaks Place included images of Thomas' shirt, shorts and diaper, as well as Wade Naramore's wallet and phone that were in the house's master bathroom.
Two witnesses described Thomas' body as pale with purple discoloration on his extremities.
The defense also questioned Hot Springs police detective Les Jessup on the collection of evidence, specifically why the trunk of Naramore's car was not searched.
Jessup said he learned after the fact that the detective in charge of searching the car had not looked in the trunk, which held a swim bag and cut-up fruit.
Naramore is charged with negligent homicide in his son's hot-car death.
Check back for updates on this developing story and read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
12:25 P.M. UPDATE:
After returning from a short break, the jury viewed dashboard-camera footage from the car of Hot Springs police Sgt. Kenny Kizer, one of the first officers to respond to the 911 call reporting an unresponsive infant.
Garland County Circuit Court Judge Wade Naramore is charged with negligent homicide in the death of his 18-month-old son, Thomas, on July 24, 2015. He, his wife, Ashley, and other friends and family members sobbed as the TV screen replayed the events of that day.
The first 10 minutes of the audio, recorded by Kizer's on-person microphone, capture Naramore hysterically wailing as officers and paramedics arrive at his neighbor's house at the corner of James Street and Fair Oaks Place.
Naramore is heard saying "Oh my God, my baby" while crying.
A woman, presumably Ashley Naramore, is heard in the video distraughtly asking to see her child and consoling her husband.
The video only showed images in front of the police car. The Naramores and Kizer did not appear on screen.
The jury heard crying throughout the video. In court, Wade Naramore was at one point visibly shaking.
Kizer, who was questioned during the video by the defense, said Naramore was exhibiting symptoms of shock at the scene, attempting to calm himself while at times entering hysterics over his lost child.
At one point in the video, Naramore corrects Kizer when he calls him the wrong name — an instance the state's attorneys questioned, interpreting Naramore's correction as "cold."
The jury is set to return at 12:40.
Check back for updates on this developing story and read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
EARLIER:
The first day of testimony in the negligent-homicide trial of Garland County Circuit Judge Wade Naramore began Tuesday with witness accounts of the day Naramore's 18-month-old son, Thomas, died.
Gerald Keith, Naramore's neighbor, told the jury that July 24, 2015, his dog alerted him to Naramore sitting in a yard in front of Keith's house with his son in his arms.
Keith recalled Naramore saying, "I killed my child. I killed my child," as he sat in the grass.
Thomas Naramore died that day after he was left in a hot car for several hours.
Keith said he then took the child from Naramore and tried to cool him off that day by holding him in a cold shower before emergency personnel arrived.
Sgt. Kenny Kizer, one of the first officers on the scene, also testified. He said Naramore was "wailing, pacing back and forth and crying" when he arrived on the scene.
When court goes back in session at 10:30 a.m., the jury will watch and listen to dashboard-camera footage from the scene that day.
Check back for updates on this developing story and read Wednesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.