Sending a strong message to meth-makers
Prosecutor's office wins important jury trial
By Debbie Lowe

McVey

Two methamphetamine makers who used to operate in Carroll County are out of business thanks to the efforts of the prosecutor's office and law enforcement.

Chief deputy prosecutor Kristen McVey led the charge to victory in a Carroll Circuit Court trial last

week that resulted in

McVey

the conviction of Kim C. Hitchcock and Jeffery P. Canen, both of Delphi, by a 12-person jury.

The pair was arrested in February of 2005 when a neighbor reported a strong smell of ammonia in the neighborhood off of SR25. Deputy Mike Thomas of the Carroll County Sheriff's Department and Emergency Management Agency director Justin Darling responded to the call.

According to McVey, the two tracked the odor to a shed behind the residence, where they discovered an active meth lab.

Although there was no answer when they knocked on the front door of the residence, the law enforcement officials made visual contact with the alleged offenders.

A search warrant was obtained and when Thomas and Darling entered the

house, they found meth in coffee filters, which is used in the final stages of the manufacture of the substance. Pipes used in smoking meth were also found on the premises.

Hitchcock

The two defendants were charged with dealing meth, a Class B felony. McVey said although the state statute uses the verbage of "dealing," her office was obligated to prove that meth was being manufactured for a guilty verdict.

The jury deliberated about an hour before reaching that decision.

"Kristen presented the evidence in an organized and meaningful way," Darling commented. "I was pleased with the outcome." McVey said pleas were offered early

on in the case, however none were accepted. There were numerous motions to continue by the defense resulting in a lengthy wait before the case made it to trial.

According to McVey, research shows every person who learns how to cook meth teaches 10 others how to cook it.

"Meth production is a group activity," she explained. "By taking two more out of the mix, it starts to stem the tide of production county-wide."

Sentencing for the pair is scheduled for Aug. 30 at 10:30 a.m. in Carroll Circuit Court. McVey said a B-felony bears a six-to-20-year sentencing range. She will consider the pre-sentence investigation before deciding what penalty to recommend to the court. She said she wants the sentence to be meaningful to those found guilty and to those in the county who participate in meth activities locally.

Canen

'This conviction sends a message to other meth cookers that Carroll County won't tolerate this behavior," she concluded.