STONE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
PRESS RELEASE

Stone County Deputies Respond to "Meth Lab" Explosion in Shell Knob

On July 11th, 2009 at approximately 1:40 AM, Stone County Emergency Services 911 received a phone call from the Shell Knob area reporting an explosion and fire at a single family residence. As Central Crossings Fire responded to the scene, a second caller reported that an individual who was burned with chemical burns came to a neighboring residence to report the fire. Based upon that information, Stone County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched along with the Fire Department to that location for a possible fire involving a methamphetamine laboratory.

When Deputies and Fire Department personnel arrived, they smelled a chemical odor in the air which they recognized as being one utilized in the making of methamphetamine. The COMET Drug Task Force was then notified to assist in the investigation and dismantling of the remains of what turned out to be a methamphetamine manufacturing lab at the fire and explosion damaged residence.
Three individuals were identified as being present at the involved residence. One, a 46 yr old male from Shell Knob was taken to St. John's Burn Unit that morning for treatment of the burns he sustained in the explosion. Another, a 40 yr old male from Shell Knob was taken to St. John's Burn Unit on Monday, July 13, 2009, also for treatment of the burns he sustained in the fire. The third individual was a 44 yr old female from Shell Knob who was not injured. The Stone County Prosecuting Attorney is reviewing the reports and charges are expected in the near future.
This is the second of two methamphetamine labs that have been located in Stone County within the last month. The first was located in Branson West on June 22.

Richard L. Hill, Sheriff
Stone County