Authorities have charged a man from North Carolina following the death of his 2-year-old son.
Videos by Wide Open Country
The arrest comes over a year after an incident that took place on December 2, 2023. According to the Daily Mail, Moore County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a 911 call in West End. When officers arrived, they found River Carter, 2, dead at the premises.
Officers noted that River's room was "extremely hot" and estimated the temperature exceeded 100 degrees. According to investigators, River's father, Aaron Lynwood Carter, had kept him in a room with 'elevated temperatures' for more than 12 hours. The increased temperature came from a space heater in the room, and medical examiners blamed the boy's death on 'hypernatremic dehydration due to environmental heat exposure.' Ultimately, River likely died because of dehydration caused by the high temperature.
Medical examiners explain that Carter put River to bed early, at around 3 pm, because he had "the sniffles and a possible low-grade fever." Carter allegedly checked on River a couple of hours later. Then, he turned off the central air and used space heaters to save power. Neither Carter nor River's mother, Katy Ann Gilliam, checked on River for at least 12 hours.
When questioned by police, Carter could not recall what temperature the space heaters were set to.
Authorities Have Not Charged The Mother Of The 2-Year-Old
The report by the Daily Mail explains that medical examiners thought River being left unattended for so long while sick was 'exceedingly concerning.' However, the report concludes that there is no evidence that he was left in the room with intent to harm. Still, authorities pursued charges against the father.
According to police, Gilliam didn't arrive home until 11:30 that night and has escaped penalty for this reason. Aaron Lynwood Carter has been charged with one count of felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury and one count of felony involuntary manslaughter.
This incident is eerily similar to another we reported on in December. A couple from Indiana left their 2-year-old child in a closet overnight with a space heater. The incident ultimately led to the toddler's death while authorities took two other children into protective custody. The parents were charged with neglect of an independent, resulting in death.
