PARIS, Ark. (AP) A western Arkansas man is facing charges that allege he killed a toddler and tried covered it up by causing a house fire.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that 27-year-old Ricky Lee Carter is charged with first-degree murder and arson in the death of 2-year-old Ryatt Reese. Carter’s bail is set at $1 million in Logan County Circuit Court.
Court documents allege that Carter told investigators he pulled Ryatt’s feet from under him on Dec. 21, causing the child to hit his head at his home in Paris. Carter told investigators he tried to resuscitate the boy, but then turned on the gas and ignited a lighter that caused the explosion.
A police affidavit says the state medical examiner’s office concluded that Ryatt died from “traumatic head and abdomen injuries.”
Online court records don’t list an attorney for Carter.
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