A North Carolina father was charged in the death of his two-year-old son after leaving the toddler in a room with a space heater on for about 15 hours.
On the morning of December 2, 2023, officers from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call and found River Carter dead in a home in West End, a small town between Fayetteville and Charlotte.
According to authorities on the scene, the boy’s room was estimated to be more than 40 degrees Celsius.
After reviewing the state medical examiner’s findings, the sheriff’s office announced it had arrested River’s father, Aaron Lynwood Carter, on Tuesday, more than a year after the boy’s death.
“Investigators determined that River had been isolated in a room and exposed to high temperatures from a space heater for over 12 hours before his death was reported,” a statement from the sheriff’s office said.
The official cause of death for River was listed as “hypernatremic dehydration due to environmental heat exposure,” the medical examiner found.
Two documents prepared by the medical examiner explained that Carter, 27, put River to bed around 3 p.m. because he was experiencing runny noses and a possible “low fever.”
Carter checked on his son at 5 p.m., then turned off the central air in the house and turned on “space heaters in each room to conserve energy.”
Aaron Lynwood Carter, 27, was charged Tuesday in connection with the death of his son last year
Carter and River’s mother, Katy Anne Gilliam, told police he thought he heard River “moving” at 6 a.m. the next morning, more than 12 hours later, but did not check on him, the report said.
About hours later, someone in the house called 911.
“When police entered, the fan and space heater were not on, but the room temperature was determined to be extremely hot (estimated to be over 100 degrees),” the medical examiner’s final report said.
Carter was unable to tell police what setting he left the space heater on at night, according to the report. Investigators determined that a fan placed near the heater had “warped,” likely due to its proximity to the heat.
The medical examiner concluded that River likely “died due to dehydration due to the high temperature in the room where he slept.”
“Overall, it is extremely concerning that River was left alone for 15 hours while ill, and in an enclosed, warm environment,” the report continued.
“On the one hand, there is no evidence that he was placed in this harmful environment with the active intent to harm him.”
Carter, 27, has been charged with one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one felony count of child abuse causing great bodily harm in connection with his son’s death.
River’s mother was not charged. According to police, she came home from work at 11:30 p.m., the night before the boy was found dead.
River Lynwood Carter died in December 2023 at the age of two. Police say he was left in a room with a space heater on for 12 hours.
Carter is being held in the Moore County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond. Carter will appear in court on Thursday.
River’s obituary states that the boy, born on July 16, 2021, is survived by his sister and parents.
“River loved life and all people. He enjoyed making people laugh and giving hugs,” the obituary said.
“River loved all things outdoors and active: animals, trucks, cars, his family, music and dancing. He had so much character for a 2 year old. Truly the most genuine and kind soul.”
The delay in charging Carter came as police waited for autopsy results from the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, which investigates all deaths in the state.
Major Eric Galloway of the Moore County Sheriff’s Office told DailyMail.com that deputies met with the medical examiner and received the autopsy on Tuesday. Carter was arrested and charged the same day.
“As soon as we received confirmation of the cause of death, we arrested him,” Galloway said.
When asked if Carter could have been arrested sooner based on the evidence at the scene, Galloway said officers were cautious.
Pictured: an aerial view of the family home where River died
Galloway declined to comment on why the medical examiner took more than a year to complete the autopsy.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released a report in August 2024 titled “Strategic Plan to Improve the Medical Exam System.”
The report explained that there is a national shortage of forensic pathologists, professionals who investigate deaths that are sudden, unexpected or suspected of being homicide.
The state medical examiner’s office added a team of temporary staff last year, which makes up about 45 percent of the office’s total workforce.
The report recommended that the state establish two new autopsy centers, hire more permanent staff for forensic pathology and toxicology, and invest in additional technology.