Taney County Prosecuting Attorney, Jeffrey M. Merrell announced today that SHENELL THURMAN, dob: 10/02/1971 of Hollister, Missouri was found guilty Monday for the class C felony of possession of a controlled substance after a jury trial in front of Taney County Circuit Judge Mark Orr. Formal sentencing for the matter is set at February 18, 2009 at 9:00am.

On June 16, 2006 a white 1991 Pontiac Firebird was observed traveling down Highway 65 with plates that checked back to a 1986 Oldsmobile. Taney County Sheriff Deputies initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle at Windmill and Graham Clark Road in Ridgedale. During the traffic stop, deputies observed the driver of the vehicle acting suspiciously by leaning over and trying to reach under his seat. Deputies later discovered and secured a loaded and chambered 9mm handgun inside the vehicle. Deputies also located next to the passenger door of the vehicle a black baggie which had two glass pipes, 20 small baggies, and approximately 23 grams of methamphetamine in a sandwich bag. The passenger of the vehicle, SHENELL THURMAN was asked out of the vehicle and questioned. During questioning a deputy from the Taney County Sheriff’s Department observed a baggie with a crystal like substance, later identified as methamphetamine, fall from SHENELL THURMAN.

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