Evidence burn reveals progress in meth busts in Henry County

HENRY COUNTY, Tenn. –The Henry County Sheriff’s Office cleaned house Friday to make room for future cases.

“We are destroying evidence from cases that are approximately three and a half years old that have been disposed of,” Drug Investigator Jamie Myrick said. “All this evidence is from drugs and paraphernalia, meth lab material stuff.”

This burn only contained tools used in manufacturing. The sheriff’s office disposed of any harmful chemicals or narcotics through the state.

Sheriff Monte Belew says this is around three and a half years’ worth of evidence from drug cases from all over the county. The judge cleared them to be able to destroy the evidence to make more room for future cases.

“We have to dispose of it some way or another legally, and this is the best way to do it to make room for other evidence in our upcoming cases,” Myrick said.

Investigators said clearing out the evidence room also allowed them to see some of the progress they have made over the last few years.

“The meth labs have actually decreased in Henry County,” Myrick said. “We have put a stop to a lot of it, so we don’t see as much of this methamphetamine cooking as we used to.”

“What’s left is just the equipment that’s used that’s nontoxic that we have been permitted to burn,” he said.

The sheriff says they won’t have another evidence burn for another three or four years.