Jackson pot bust nets big cache by schools

Jackson police seized more than a quarter pound of marijuana and several smoking devices early Thursday morning from a home located just a few hundred feet from two schools.

Inside the home at 214 S. Missouri St., police found the marijuana and several smoking pipes and water bongs, said Lt. James Humphreys. The house sits a block north of Jackson High School on South Missouri and near St. Paul Lutheran School on South Russell.

Stuart L. Miller, 39, was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance. with intent to distribute. His wife, Charlyn R. Miller, 32, was charged with the same class B felony.

A 22-year-old man, reportedly dating a daughter of the Millers, was arrested on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, but no charges have been filed against him as of late Thursday, according to the county prosecuting attorney's office.

Because people possessing an amount of marijuana that large tend to sell as well as use the drug, investigators suspect the Millers were selling it, Humphreys said. However, officers did not observe any sales or perform undercover buys.

"We have to prove distribution on it and I think we can," he said. "It's just a bad situation and I'm glad we were able to get on them."

The suspects had lived in the home for less than a year and law enforcement officials hope the charges influence them to live elsewhere, he said.

"We're hoping maybe we can push them out," Humphreys said. "We're going to be very hard on drug pushers in our community, especially when they're close to our schools."

The close proximity of the arrests was a concern to Rick McLard, principal at the high school. He was not aware that the home had been considered a problem until police notified him a search warrant had been served, he said.

"Us, the county sheriff's department, Jackson police, Cape police and several social service agencies meet once a month for a security meeting and they discuss the things that are happening, but it's after the fact," he said.

School resource officers and administrators patrol the high school campus and observe nearby homes periodically throughout the day, he said. They also keep an eye on students wandering away from the grounds.

"If we were to see students at a place that is not their home, we'd question them why they would be there," he said.

St. Paul principal Al Lipke credits parents and teachers for keeping his campus safe by reporting strange or suspicious activities.

"We've never really had a drug problem at St. Paul, but we try to keep an eye on the situation in the community," he said. "Our parents are good at telling us what's going on. And if we notice some high school kids doing something suspicious, we call the high school and let them deal with it."

The search warrant was a result of information obtained during another investigation. The SEMO Drug Task Force worked with Jackson police. "They did most of the legwork," Humphreys said.

mwells@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160