The coroner-elect of Sharp County was arrested Friday following an investigation into allegations that he accepted payment for a pet cremation service that he never performed, authorities said.
Seth H. Wortham, 32, of Cherokee Village, was booked into the Sharp County Detention Center on charges of theft of property, obstructing governmental operations, and tampering with physical evidence, according to Sharp County Sheriff Shane Russell.
The arrest stems from a complaint by a local resident who paid Wortham to cremate a deceased pet. Investigators allege that Wortham returned ashes to the victim claiming they belonged to the pet, but subsequent analysis revealed the remains actually came from an entirely different animal cremated years earlier.
Detectives discovered the victim’s pet had never been cremated and was instead buried at an undisclosed location within Sharp County.
The case has been formally submitted to prosecuting authorities for review and prosecution.
“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 press release. “We will continue to follow the facts and uphold the law while ensuring due process for all involved.”
Under Arkansas law, criminal charges are strictly allegations, and Wortham is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law, the sheriff said.
Authorities stated that no further details will be released due to the active nature of the investigation.
Wortham won the Republican primary for Sharp County Coroner on March 3, 2026, defeating incumbent Renee Clay-Circle.
Seth H. Wortham (Sharp County Sheriff’s Office)
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