In September of 2014, a Bristol police officer pulled a car over on Lee Highway after noticing that its windshield was broken. As he approached the car, he noticed a small child in the back seat.
As reported on Bristol Herald Courier.com, according to Sergeant Steve Crawford, the officer became suspicious of the occupants during his discussion about the windshield. As he persisted with questions, he made the decision to search the vehicle for contraband and illegal substances. During the search, the officer found the following:
- Marijuana
- Drug paraphernalia
- Various ingredients to cook methamphetamine
Then he found an active meth lab in the trunk of the car...only a few feet from where the child was sitting.
The two adults, Rachel Ann McCracken of Abingdon and Linzie Morgan Humes of Bristol, were arrested on drug charges and reckless child endangerment.
The Indictment
In May of 2015, a grand jury decided to indict McCracken on:
- Two counts of manufacturing methamphetamine
- Manufacturing methamphetamine with a child present
- Reckless endangerment of a child
Although present in the mobile meth lab, Mr. Humes was only indicted on a marijuana possession charge.
We remind our readers that the persons mentioned in this report are considered innocent unless convicted of criminal offenses.
Bristol has been subject to an alarming number of meth and drug-related indictments over the past several years. In fact, the largest meth lab in southwest Virginia was discovered in Bristol in 2011. We hope that the surge in arrests is accompanied by full respect for the defendants’ civil and legal rights.