08/23/2002

By KGW Staff

A Marion County drug task force seized two badly neglected horses and took five children into protective custody Friday from a suspected drug house.

Police found an operational meth lab at the remote farm northeast of Salem, and another in a nearby trailer.

They arrested Laurie L. Thrasher, 34, and charged her with a long list of drug-related charges, theft and criminal mistreatment. Raymond Odom, 32, also was arrested and charged with animal neglect and criminal mistreatment.

A Woodburn man, Charles D. Reed, drove up during the investigation and also was arrested when police discovered he had a small amount of meth.

The children range in age from 9 months to 10 years, Okada said. They were living in filthy conditions, he said, with garbage piled in the kitchen and whole pieces of the floor missing. Investigators found a half ounce of crystal meth and said the drugs were easily accessible to the children.

The two horses were “badly neglected and emaciated,” he said. One was barely strong enough to stand on its own. They were turned over to abuse investigators with the Humane Society.

Investigators also found a dozen firearms on the property, included three that had been reported stolen, and more than $1,000 cash.

The task force had been investigating the property for several months on suspicion of drug activity, tipped off by citizen complaints. Investigators had checked the home in April but found only drug paraphernalia.