METH LAB DEBRIS FOUND

The remains of a meth lab were discovered Sunday night near Honker's Boat Dock in Cape Girardeau by a man who had learned about methamphetamine through reading the newspaper.

Cape Girardeau Police Cpl. Keith May said a caller phoned the department around 10:30 Sunday night to report what was thought to be products used to manufacture methamphetamine dumped in a ditch on Water Street between Second and Third streets.

The man had read the eight-day "Life or Meth" series published in the Southeast Missourian and had recognized the materials in the ditch as meth ingredients, May said.

"This is precisely what we hoped would occur when the series came out, people becoming more aware of the precursors and chemicals used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and reporting it to authorities," Police Chief Rick Hetzel said.

Hetzel added that by educating the public, the police hope to create an atmosphere of deterrence that will make it more difficult for those predisposed to commit a crime.

When people are more informed about the products and process used in manufacturing meth, they are more likely to provide leads to the police, he said.

"There is no doubt that the possibility that when youth read about manufacturing meth that they will try to do it," he said, "but people are forgetting that in order to do that people have to be predisposed to commit a crime."

Hetzel thinks such a viewpoint underestimates the character and intelligence of our community.

Furthermore, he said, educating youth about the dangers of methamphetamine might actually keep youth away from the drug.

"A young person may read of the toxic chemicals that go into the drug and say 'I don't want any part of it,'" he said.

After Sunday's report, May and two other officers went to the site and discovered the remains of the lab. The only things missing from the site were a tank of anhydrous ammonia and boxes of cold tablets.

Some glass containers contained what May termed "leftover sludge," which comes from soaking the tablets. Investigators also discovered some finished product, though it was brown in color, as if the cooker had burnt the materials.

Two acid generators were also discovered among the remains. One was still active when it was dumped and had killed some of the vegetation in the area.

It could not be determined when or why the materials were dumped in the ditch. The lids on some of the jars were showing signs of rust. The most recent receipt for some of the products discovered with the materials was dated Aug. 21.

May said investigators also found articles of clothing at the site, but nothing he thought would provide substantial leads.

It was always possible police could lift fingerprints off the glassware, he said, but because rubber gloves were found with the materials he doubted whether fingerprints would be found.

"Unless someone saw them dump it and can give us a description of the car, I doubt we'll file charges," May said.