Search warrant turns up 18 grams of meth in bags, psychedelic mushrooms

Orval Merriman, 50, of Theodosia, and Michelle Wilcox, 40, of Alton, are charged with several felonies in connection with a drug bust earlier this month in which officers found methamphetamine in baggies, presumably ready for sale, as well as other illegal items. 

Merriman is charged as a prior and persistent offender due to his lengthy criminal history which includes more than a dozen felony convictions over the years for a range of crimes including possession of chemicals with the intent to manufacture drugs, endangering the welfare of a child, resisting arrest by fleeing, stealing animals, tampering with a motor vehicle, aggravated stalking and more. 

According to the probable cause statement, prepared by Ozark County Sheriff’s Deputy Josh Sherman, on Oct. 7, the officer and fellow Deputy Jeff Lane went to Merriman’s home in Theodosia to serve an active warrant for his arrest. 

Sherman said that when Merriman saw the officers, he ran out of a camper trailer parked on the property and toward an orange car that was parked behind the camper. Sherman used his radio to tell the OCSD dispatch office and Lane that Merriman saw him and was fleeing. Sherman said he cut through the side yard of the property and watched Merriman throw an item into the orange car, which had the passenger door open at that point. He then reportedly ran back toward the back of the camper, between the camper and a shed. As the officer got closer to the vehicle, he saw that a woman was in the driver’s seat of the car and recognized her as Michelle Wilcox. 

“As soon as I approached, I immediately stepped out of my patrol vehicle and was within yards of the orange vehicle and was attempting to make loud commands to [Wilcox] to stop the vehicle at gunpoint. She was observed looking at me before pulling away from me toward the front of the property (toward US Highway 160),” Sherman wrote. 

Wilcox reportedly drove away from Sherman despite him yelling to stop, so the officer told Deputy Lane to stop the vehicle. Lane was able to stop Wilcox before she left the property, the report says. Merriman was arrested shortly after that. 

After consent was provided and the pair spoke with the officers about what was in the vehicle, Sherman and Lane found approximately three pounds of marijuana, as well as a container filled with individual baggies of meth. 

A search warrant of the residence was completed immediately afterward, which resulted in 6.8 pounds of marijuana, 18.3 grams of methamphetamine, 2.8 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, brass knuckles and drug paraphernalia. 

Orval is charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance and felony resisting arrest. He is being held in the Ozark County Jail without bond. He had requested a bond reduction hearing, but the judge denied the request, citing that at the time of his arrest he was out on supervised release in another case, possibly on parole and has a lengthy history of drug charges. He applied for the services of the Missouri Public Defender’s office, but the office denied him as a client. He remains in jail until he is to reappear for a criminal setting at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 29, before Associate Judge Raymond Gross. 

Wilcox is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance and a misdemeanor count of willfully failing to obey a law enforcement officer. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Circuit Court before Judge Craig Carter at 1:30 p.m. today, Oct. 23.