ST. FRANCIS, Ark. — An Arkansas family is in mourning after a 13-month-old girl died over the weekend, and investigators are calling the death suspicious.
At a park in the small community of Widener, Arkansas, the parents of a now deceased little girl say their daughter put something lethal in her mouth. The family did not want to speak to us on camera, but told us 13-month-old Delaney Rose Phillips died over the weekend.
They couldn’t say what was in the small bag she allegedly picked up off the ground and ate, but her father is now warning other parents to be vigilant.
“It’s very devastating. I’m going to do everything that I can to get this family some comprehensive support,” St. Francis County Coroner Miles Kimble said.
Kimble says the Arkansas State Crime Lab handles children’s autopsies, “but toxicology will possibly be part of this case and it will take several weeks before we have a definitive cause of death.”
Deputies say they’re now waiting on those results to see what happens next. They also spent Monday looking through the park and canvassed the area around it for potential clues.
Now those living in the small community say they’re thinking of the family of the young victim.
“Now that I see you guys here, I guess it’s a reality. I’m going to pray for them,” Dr. Elnora Williams said.
No charges have been filed.