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Couple Found Guilty in Infant’s Hot Car Death

A Northwest Arkansas couple was found guilty in Springdale District Court Thursday in the death of their great-grandson after he was left in a hot car in August...

A Northwest Arkansas couple was found guilty in Springdale District Court Thursday in the death of their great-grandson after he was left in a hot car in August.

William James Staten, 51, and Margette Incise Staten, 61, were found guilty of misdemeanor negligent homicide. They received a one-year sentence and said they plan to appeal.

The first witness who took the witness stand onThursday said he heard the great-grandmother call for help in the Springdale Walmart parking lot where 2-year-old Joniah Chronister was left on the car on Aug. 3.

The Statens left the child inside the car while they were shopping at the Springdale Walmart store, police said. The temperature likely rose to 150 degrees inside the dark-colored Ford Focus where the boy was buckled into a car seat, according to investigators.

They believe the boy had been in the car for about two hours.

The child's parents sat in the back of the courtroom.

Click here to read more about the case.

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