Dead Man Found in Hot Tub with TV Weatherman was 'Trusting,' Family Says

The young man who was found dead in an empty jacuzzi-style bathtub next to a sleeping TV weatherman in Little Rock, Arkansas, was "trusting" and "easily influenced," his family has said.

Dexter Paul Williams, 24, was wearing a chain-style necklace that police described as a "dog collar," news reports said. Otherwise, he wore nothing. Other reports said that Williams was in a "fetal position" when he was discovered next to Brett Cummins, 33, a meteorologist with local TV station KARK.

The owner of the home where the death occurred, John Barbour, 36, described the previous evening's activities, telling authorities that Cummins and Williams came over at about 8:00 on the evening of Sept. 4. The three men got into the tub together at around 10:00 p.m., Barbour said, and they had already used drugs and alcohol by that point. The men continued drinking while in the tub, according to Barbour's statement.

Barbour said that he left Williams and Cummins together in the tub about an hour later and went to bed. He was awakened the following morning by snoring from the bathroom.

When he went into the bathroom, Barbour said, he found Cummins asleep and Williams dead. Upon being awaken and seeing Williams, Barbour told authorities, the weatherman screamed and fled the bathroom, then got sick on the living room carpet.

The police report noted that Williams was wearing a dog collar, news sources noted. The report described how an officer found a "naked white male lying on the floor of the tub," which was otherwise empty. The report went on to say that "the subject was lying on his right side in a fetal position, his face was blue and purple in color with a chain around his neck. The chain was silver in color and consistent with what I believed to be a dog collar."

Williams was "cold to the touch," the report added. There was some evidence of blood in the tub as well.

"We have not ruled out foul play," police spokesperson Jim Hansard told Fox News. "This is an open investigation."

The Fox News story said that Barbour's account made reference to the men having "snorted" drugs. The police said that they did not know what sort of drugs the men allegedly used.

Cummins told the Associated Press that it had been "a rough time" since Williams' death. RadarOnline reported on Sept. 9. Otherwise, Cummins has declined to comment, directing questions to his attorney, Mark Hampton.

"Mr. Cummins continues to cooperate fully with authorities investigating the circumstances surrounding Mr. Williams' passing and like them, looks forward to a conclusion of the inquiry, secure in his own innocence and confident that no foul play was involved," Hampton said in a statement.

Hampton's statement also said that Cummins was "devastated by the tragic death of his friend Dexter Williams and [Cummins] extends his sincere condolences to Dexter's family," the article added.

Williams' family also issued a statement through their own lawyer.

"While we are disturbed by the circumstances surrounding the death of our son, we are confident the authorities will fully investigate this tragic event," the statement said, according to a story posted Sept. 8 at MSNBC.com.

"Dex had a very loving but trusting heart," the statement continued. "Anyone who knew him would agree that he was easily influenced."

No charges have been filed in the wake of Williams' death. Cummins has not been on the air at KARK since the incident.