ASH FLAT, Ark. — Seth Wortham, elected coroner for Sharp County, was arrested and booked into the Sharp County Detention Center on charges of theft of property, obstructing governmental operations and tampering with physical evidence.
Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell said the arrest followed an investigation into allegations involving a paid pet cremation service that Wortham operated. According to investigators, a victim paid Wortham for cremation of a pet, but the ashes later returned to the victim were not from that animal.
The sheriff’s office alleges the pet was buried at an undisclosed location in Sharp County rather than cremated. Officials further allege the ashes provided to the victim came from another animal cremated several years earlier.
The case has been forwarded to the appropriate prosecuting authorities for review.
Russell emphasized the investigation was conducted impartially.
“The Sharp County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to conducting fair, thorough, transparent, and impartial investigations regardless of an individual’s position or status,” Russell said in a statement. “We will continue to follow the facts and uphold the law while ensuring due process for all involved.”
Authorities noted that all individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. No further details were released due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
