MORGAN COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -
The
manhunt for an accused meth maker in Morgan County continues, after
investigators made a major bust at a home in Somerville.
Deputies
are trying to track down Casey Houser who is suspected of manufacturing meth
in a garage on Turtle Creek Road.
Meantime,
deputies arrested Verlon McLaine, also known as the "Alabama
Babymaker," Lanita McLaine, and Ralph McLaine for their involvement in the
lab. They all face several drug charges.
Investigators
said this meth lab was particularly dangerous. It was not a typical
"one-pot" meth lab.
In
this case, three methods were being used to cook meth. Two of them involved
anhydrous ammonia and red phosphorous, which are both very volatile gases that
can easily explode.
It
made a dangerous situation for both law enforcement and surrounding neighbors.
Deputies
spent hours cleaning up this lab. Sheriff Ana Franklin said it was a very
difficult process.
The
hazards were constant until the lab was completely broken down. At any point,
the tanks could have exploded since the gases were already leaking.
"They
had taken anhydrous ammonia and put it in oxygen tanks and hot-glued lids on
them. The gas was leaking out. The top and bottom parts of the cylinder were
corroded everywhere," said Sheriff Franklin.
To
make matters worse, the meth was being cooked in a garage full of cars, gas
cans and cleaning solvents.
Many
people are wondering who these accused meth makers are.
The
answer may surprise you.
WAFF 48 News
checked into the backgrounds of the three arrested and found no drug
manufacturing history.
This
is the problem for investigators trying to crack down. The face of meth users
and makers is changing making it harder for law enforcement to identify the
source.
"It
is not in the slums somewhere. It is now in middle-class America. It is your
next door neighbor who has a job or had a job and has now lost everything,
depending on where we intervene at," explained Franklin.
The
suspect still at large is a different story. Casey Houser has a rap sheet of
criminal charges, some that include drug manufacture.
Copyright 2013 WAFF. All rights
reserved.
The manhunt for an accused meth maker in Morgan County continues, after investigators made a major bust at a home in Somerville.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WAFF, a Raycom Media Station. 