By David Hedges, Publisher
Times Record-Roane County Reporter
It is becoming common for methamphetamine cases to top the list of grand jury indictments in Roane County, but officials are seeing another disturbing trend.
More often than not the drug is being produced in homes where children live.
Meth crimes accounted for one-third of the indictments returned against 24 people last week by a Roane grand jury.
All but one of those eight cases involved children allegedly living in the home where meth was found.
This included a Spencer couple arrested in Wood County on Christmas Day in a motel room where police said meth was being produced. The couple's two young children were in the same room.
Since that alleged incident occurred in Wood County, it was not addressed by the Roane grand jury. But Christopher Lee Coe, 28, and his wife, Annette Coe, 25, of Chestnut St., Spencer were indicted for operating a meth lab in their home earlier in December.
The charges allege the Roane Sheriff's Dept. found items to make meth in a blue tote bag in the home. The bag was labeled "baby's essentials" according to the indictment.
The couple's oldest child is four years of age, while the youngest was only five months old when police raided the motel room on Christmas morning.
In Roane County the Coes were indicted on charges including operating a clandestine drug lab, possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and child neglect creating substantial risk of injury.
Christopher Coe also was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The charges allege Coe was convicted of burglary in Marion County in 2000 and had a pistol, rifle and three shotguns in the home.
Others indicted for meth crimes in the presence of children were:
⢠Sabrina Ann Metheney, 22, of Grannies Creek, Ovapa and Rocky Bailey, age and address unknown, for operating a clandestine drug lab, manufacturing methamphetamine, child neglect and related charges after police allegedly discovered a drug lab in the home Metheney shared with her 5-year-old son in January of this year.
⢠Danny Lee Nichols, 45, of Amma Rd. for operating a clandestine drug lab, possession of methamphetamine, child neglect and related charges. In November police allegedly uncovered a drug lab at the home he shared with a 10-year-old daughter.
⢠Rodney Whytsell, 24, of Clay Rd., Spencer and Jeanie Dye, 25, of Ann St., Spencer for operating a clandestine drug lab, child neglect and related charges. Police said Whytsell's 12-year-old daughter was living in the home when they raided it in October.
Whytsell, convicted earlier of domestic battery, also was charged with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person after police allegedly found a .22 rifle in the home.
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