District Judge Donald E.

Monday, June 25, 2001

District Judge Donald E. Rysavy will rule, in 90 days, on a motion to dismiss murder charges against Troy Alan Meyer in the methamphetamine lab murder case.

Meyer appeared in Third Judicial District Court Friday afternoon for a one-hour omnibus hearing with his attorney, William Wright.

A hearing for alleged co-conspirator in case, Jamie Lee Chris Schammel, 20 of 600 11th Ave. SW, was not held Friday afternoon as scheduled. Schammel’s appearance in court on murder and other charges will be rescheduled at a later date.

Also Friday, Sandra Jean Johnson had a hearing continued. Johnson is also charged in connection with the methamphetamine lab case, but not with murder.

Meyer, 34 of Austin, remains in custody in the Mower County Jail.

Schammel is not in custody after being released from a Twin Cities hospital, where he was treated for severe burns suffered in a flash-fire explosion at the methamphetamine lab Jan. 13 on Austin’s southwest side.

Johnson is not in custody.

James Chilson died of injuries suffered in the flash-fire explosion, when the methamphetamine lab was discovered by accident at 1009 11th Ave. SW in the early morning hours of Jan. 13.

Chilson lived at the residence with Johnson and her 4-year-old son.

Austin Police patrolman Ryan Leif was parked in the alley behind the residence visiting with friends who lived at another residence, when he heard yelling and noticed smoke coming from the 1009 11th Ave. SW residence.

Chilson exited the building from the front and got into Johnson’s car with Johnson and her son following.

Meyer, Schammel and another male subject, who was not charged in connection with the manufacture of illegal drugs, Chad Seyes, 31 of Austin, ran from the rear of the house and fled the scene.

The house was secured by Austin police and the Austin Fire Department when it was verified methamphetamine drugs were being manufactured in the basement.

Chilson was treated at Austin Medical Center and then transferred to the burn unit at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where he died of his injuries.

Police launched an intensive investigation into the case and within hours of the flash-fire explosion had Schammel in custody.

Seyes was found, questioned and then released after he gave a statement.

Meyer remained at large until turning himself in to authorities.

According to the criminal complaint filed against Meyer, he and his accomplices panicked when one of them saw an Austin police car parked in the alley.

They attempted to pour chemicals, including Coleman fuel down a basement floor drain near where they had an ash tray with burning cigarettes. A flash-fire ignited. Chilson and Schammel were burned but Seyes and Meyer escaped injury.

At Friday’s hearing, Meyer’s court-appointed attorney, Wright, asked Judge Rysavy to dismiss the homicide charges for lack of probable cause.

Steve L. Schleicher, an assistant Minnesota Attorney General, who is prosecuting the case, presented Wright and the court with police reports, including photographs, lab reports and other data, as well as a video-taped statement by Johnson.

Then, he called John Cotner, a special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, to the stand as his only witness at the omnibus hearing.

Cotner is a clandestine lab enforcement team coordinator in Minnesota for the DEA.

At Schleicher’s request, he described the different methods of manufacturing methamphetamine drugs and the chemicals used in the processes.

Based on the evidence presented him and Cotner’s own investigation, the Chilson-Meyer-Schammel lab was using a process called the "Nazi method" on the street, which involved large quantities of cold medicines, such as Sudafed, Coleman fuel and other ingredients.

Based on the evidence and his investigation, Cotner said the materials collected at the scene of the Jan. 13 flash-fire explosion at the Austin residence and the injuries suffered by two people were consistent with a methamphetamine laboratory’s operation gone wrong.

After an hour of testimony, Judge Rysavy said he would take the matter under advisement. He gave attorneys until June 29 to file additional motions and announced he would rule within 90 days.

Meyer is charged with one count of felony murder in the second degree, three counts of felony first degree controlled substance crimes; murder in the third degree under the Imminent Dangerous Act; murder in the third degree in the commission of a controlled substance offense; manslaughter in the second degree for culpable negligence; and one negligent fire felony count.

According to Schleicher, Schammel will be charged with similar offenses.

This is the first time murder charges have been filed, in Minnesota, in connection with an illegal drug laboratory’s operation.

Call Lee Bonorden at 434-2232 or e-mail him at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com.