By Christin Coyne
ccoyne@mineralwellsindex.com

Palo Pinto – Testimony began Tuesday in the trial of a Mineral Wells man accused of manufacturing over 400 grams of methamphetamine, a first degree felony punishable by a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Gregory Harold Quinn, 44, was arrested the evening of April 28, 2008, after police responded to a call from a neighbor reporting a strong chemical smell in the 400 block of N.W. 9th Street.

While District Attorney Mike Burns brought several witnesses to testify of Quinn’s presence in the RV, at the time law enforcement discovered 480 grams of methamphetamine oil sitting in the kitchen sink and various other drug paraphernalia around the motor home. Quinn’s attorney, Phillip Gregory, argued that the prosecution could not tie Quinn to the evidence.

Patrol Sgt. Randy Wright of the Mineral Wells Police Department testified that he and another officer smelled a faint ether smell when they parked down the block that got stronger as they approached a residence with a motor home parked in the driveway.

“If someone’s working on a vehicle, it’s not going to fumigate a neighborhood,” Wright testified.

After officers found nothing after searching the residence with the consent, they began knocking and banging on the side of the travel trailer but nobody answered, according to Wright.

The smell of starter fluid was so strong it made his eyes water, Wright said.

All the windows were covered, according to officers.

The City County Narcotics Unit was contacted and began the paperwork for obtaining a search warrant when, after about 20 minutes of constant banging and yelling on the motor home, a man identified as Ricky Clay Jones opened the door to the RV.

Palo Pinto County Deputy Mike Gilbreath of CCNU said he saw Quinn sitting on the couch when Jones opened the door.

Both men came outside and were handcuffed and Jones signed a written consent to search, according to Wright.

CCNU investigators took over the investigation at that point, searching the motor home, according to testimony.

Burns showed jurors a black duffle bag reportedly found above the bunk at the front of the vehicle and containing an empty bag and a piece of burned foil and household items used to manufacture methamphetamine such as lantern fuel, canning and pickling salt, lithium batteries, coffee filters, ammonium sulfate, hoses and a bottle with a tube attached.

A funnel and pitcher containing what was identified as meth oil was found in the sink in the kitchen area next to the sofa, according to Mineral Well Police Department Cpl. Penny Judd. CCNU later transported the liquid to the Department of Public Safety crime lab in Abilene where the liquid tested positive for methamphetamine.

A shopping list of common household items used to make a hydrogen chloride gas generator used in the manufacture of meth was found sitting in plain view on a planter near the couch, according to Judd.

Gilbreath said he saw cloudy white smoke coming from the toilet in the bathroom and went outside to get a mask with a filter before taking apart the toilet.

Investigators found a partially melted syringe in the toilet clogged with toilet paper though they did not dig all the way inside, according to Gilbreath.

A can of starter fluid with a hole punched in the bottom was found in a bucket outside the motor home, according to testimony.

Judd said starter fluid is used to make the methyl part of the mixture.

Quinn’s defense attorney asked law enforcement officers whether they had fingerprinted any of the items and was told they had not.

“[You have] no way of linking the items to my client?” Gregory asked.

“I did not take fingerprints,” Gilbreath replied.

Gregory also made the point that investigators did not interview any bystanders about Quinn’s presence at the motor home.

Ricky Clay Jones, 40, the co-defendant, was brought to the stand as a witness by the defense.

Jones pleaded guilty to the charge of manufacturing a controlled substance, more than 400 grams, in August and was sentenced to 15 years confinement.

Jones said he was “absolutely not” cooking methamphetamine and was not guilty.

Another friend and coworker staying with him at the motor home owned the duffle bag and the methamphetamine oil, though Jones said the man did not “cook” meth.

Jones said he told officers that Quinn was only there to help him “run off” the roommate and fix his motor home.

Jones said they never got around to fixing the RV.

“Quinn just sat on the couch,” Jones said. “He didn’t do anything but sit on the couch.”

“[Jones’ roommate] wanted me to teach him how,” Jones said when asked about the presence of the drug paraphernalia.

“When I [cooked meth] with my friends, we did it for ourselves,” Jones said. “We cooked for our own consumption.”

“[The police] never really knocked on the door,” Jones said. “There was no cooking going on there. There was just stuff … [Quinn] didn’t know about.”

Jones said his roommate came by for several minutes that afternoon, leaving the meth oil in a vodka bottle in the pantry.

“I did powder up some of that stuff a few days before,” Jones said.

Jones said Quinn brought over the can of starter fluid and then said that he didn’t think the one seized as evidence was the can Quinn brought.

“[Quinn] didn’t get up off the couch,” Jones said.

After closing arguments, the jury began deliberations late Tuesday afternoon.