Paris man held in child’s death, explosion

A Paris man has been charged with murder in the death of a 2-year-old boy and is accused of covering up the death by causing an explosion and fire, Logan County Circuit Court documents say.

Ricky Lee Carter, 27, is charged with first-degree murder and arson in the death of Ryatt Reese. Bail was set at $1 million during a probable-cause hearing Friday, according to court records.

Ryatt was pulled from his home at 1704 S. Elm St. early Dec. 21 after the explosion and fire were reported to Paris authorities.

In an interview with special agents of the Arkansas State Police, Carter admitted that he yanked Ryatt’s feet from under him, causing the child to hit his head, according to a probable-cause affidavit that accompanied the criminal complaint.

Ryatt began shaking, Carter said in the affidavit, and Carter attempted cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the boy “for a long time,” the affidavit said. Carter then placed Ryatt on his bed and turned on the gas for about 45 minutes, then ignited a lighter, which caused the explosion and fire, the affidavit says.

The affidavit said the state medical examiner’s office concluded from an autopsy that Ryatt died from “traumatic head and abdomen injuries.”

According to the affidavit, the explosion and fire were reported to the Paris Police Department at 4:26 a.m. Carter told investigators that he injured Ryatt between 12:30 a.m. and 12:40 a.m., the affidavit says.

Paris police officer Thomas Hobbs responded to the call about the blast and saw flames coming from the rear of the house, the affidavit said. He approached the front