CLAREMORE man released from jail on bail

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ A Claremore man arrested in Kansas for the heat-related death of his young son is free on $10,000 bail, authorities said. <br><br>William David Walden Jr., 35, was taken into custody

Tuesday, June 12th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ A Claremore man arrested in Kansas for the heat-related death of his young son is free on $10,000 bail, authorities said.

William David Walden Jr., 35, was taken into custody Saturday night, Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff Bob Creech said in a statement on Monday.

Walden brought his two children to the Field of Dreams baseball complex in Baxter Springs, Kan., where their mother was scheduled to play a game Saturday afternoon, Creech said.

The father and children, including Brook Ray David Walden, arrived about 12:30 p.m. and the mother arrived later. It was then that the couple discovered that 14-month-old Brook had been left in the car.

Baxter Springs Police Chief David Edmondson reportedly was at the field and responded to the parking lot area to assist the couple. Edmondson said that the couple had already taken Brook out of the car by the time he arrived.

Creech said an emergency response team was summoned about 1:15 p.m. but attempts to revive the child at the scene were unsuccessful. The boy was transported to St. John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo., where he was pronounced dead.

A preliminary autopsy conducted by the Shawnee County Medical Examiner's Office ruled that the child died of exposure to extreme heat, Creech said.

Walden posted bail and was released from jail Sunday.

No formal charges have been filed.