Arkansas Toddler Found Dead In Washing Machine, Police Clueless

Two days after a 3-year-old girl was found dead inside a washing machine, police officers investigating the case have not managed to solve the mystery behind the toddler’s death. According to ABC News, the incident happened in the city of Hampton in southern Arkansas last Wednesday. Local police officers responded to a call from the home located on Tina Street located in the Calhoun County City of Hampton on Wednesday afternoon to see the unresponsive child inside a top loading washing machine. The child was immediately extricated from the washing machine and was administered CPR. Seeing no response, the child was taken to a medical center in El Dorado where she was pronounced dead.

While it is unclear at this time if the parents of the child were at home when officers reached there, there have been reports that say that the mother of the child was seen asking people if they had seen her girl. However, specific circumstances that led to the death of the girl continue to remain shrouded in mystery. Investigating officers are now trying to ascertain if the toddler somehow accidentally fell into the washing machine or if there is some kind of foul play involved. They will also investigate if there was water inside the washing machine and whether the machine was on with the child inside and if the lid was closed at the time of the incident.

According to a neighbor identified as Josh Coleman, he was one of the first persons to respond to the cries of the child’s mother who according to him was seen desperately yelling asking people to call 911. In an interview to Arkansas Matters, he says;

“To not be able to do what I could to do to save that baby — and the law enforcement and everybody else — it’s tough.”

Meanwhile officials from the Hampton Police Department are awaiting a report from the State Medical Examiner which should throw some light on the exact cause of death. According to police chief Cole Knoedl, no criminal charges have been filed, and as of now, no one has been taken into custody as well.

He says,

“The circumstances surrounding it — it’s awful. There’s really no way to put it into words. It’s one of the worst things that you ever have to see being a law enforcement officer.”

Despite the mysterious circumstance in which the little girl was found dead inside a washing machine, neighbors and people from the local community have come in support for the family and were seen expressing their grief and offering condolences. Many of the neighbors also revealed that foul play is the last thing they would expect. Another neighbor identified as Lillie Randall says it is unfathomable to think of a way this incident could have happened. He says people are still wondering how a 3-year-old could end up in a washing machine.

He adds,

“I can’t even say I can imagine what that feels like. I guess when you really think about it you know it’s possible for this to happen,” she added. “It’s just hard to wrap your mind around this and it’s so sad.”

This is not the first time that we have heard about a child dying after falling into a washing machine. Earlier this year, the Inquisitr had reported about the case of another 3-year-old child, this time from France, who was stuffed into a washing machine by his own father after the child allegedly misbehaved. After the boy was stuffed inside the washing machine, the dad walked away and surfed the Internet while his son died a painful death. The abusive father was found guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

(Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)