DE QUEEN — The trial of a Sevier County man accused of mistreating the body of a dead newborn after placing it in a trash can continued through January.

Matthew Hallmark, 22, appeared at a preliminary hearing on Oct. 31 with his attorney, Clayton Tinkes, according to court records. Hallmark’s motion to continue was granted by 9th Western Circuit Judge Bryan Chesshir.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, with the hearing scheduled for Jan. 21, according to court records.

Hallmark and the child’s mother, a young woman, were arrested by the Sevier County sheriff’s office on November 7, 2022, after the baby’s body was discovered.

Hallmark was released from jail on $50,000 bail.

The investigation began after Sevier County deputies received a report of a baby being born at the home. Deputies found the child’s body in a nearby trash can.

Abuse of a corpse is a class C misdemeanor. The penalty is three to 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections and/or a fine of up to $10,000.