Trikes and teddy bears, pacifiers and video games. It's a house where kids live, but this isn't kid stuff.

"This is an active meth lab, yes mam," says Branson West Police Chief Doug Rader. Police and Stone County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a home in Branson West after someone called the Division of Family Services to report suspected child abuse and neglect. What they found was a working meth lab.

Inside the 2-bedroom home, a bathroom complete with jetted-tub, lighted vanity and all the components of a meth-making operation -- one that had been in use only hours before. Rader and other officers say they smelled the telltale odor of ammonia as they rounded up four males, three females and three children.

"We see a lot of Coleman Fuel, brake fluid, battery acid," says a Trooper with Missouri's COMET Drug Task Force. She declines to give her name or show her face on camera for security purposes. Swabbing one of many rubber tubes found in the house, she collects evidence for the case.

"Yeah, this is a positive indicator," she says as the swab turns blue.
Law enforcement says finding fresh food in the refrigerator is somewhat rare. Oftentimes, there's no food in the house, or spoiled food. Here there's fresh food - a newly-made pie - remnants of a birthday cake - jars of baby food. Chief Rader notes that the home's only refrigerator is on the back porch, next to a trash can infested with ants.

Inside the house, more evidence. Balloons often used to package and sell meth. Coffee filters for straining the drug, and additives for 'cutting' the product. There are about a dozen cell phones, glass jars of liquid everywhere, and no air conditioning.

The COMET Trooper says this home has been busted three times for meth labs, and one couple found here was investigated about two months ago. "They're very nomadic," the Trooper says. "They stay where ever then can and move on. They just make sure to stay close to the meth maker so they can get some of the finished product."

She goes on to explain the lure of meth.

"The way it was explained to us, during training, was that during a normal sexual orgasm, the body creates 3 nanograms of dopamine, which is a pleasure chemical," she says. "A hit from meth creates 30 nanograms of dopamine, so you can see what a powerful experience that would be."

"This is the third meth bust we've had in this residence, and the landlord just keeps renting it out so we'll seek charges against the landlord. He's been warned before about this," Rader says as he wraps up about six hours on the scene. "I've been in lots of meth labs in my career, but never get used to it. You just can't believe anyone would do this to their kids."
The children are in protective custody.

Charged in connection with the bust are 40 year old Robert D. Burgess of Reeds Spring, 21 year old Melissa M. Lind of Reeds Spring, 34 year old Jonathan W. Sidney of Branson West, 28 year old Diana K. Kincannon of Nixa, 28 year old Benjamin T. Rogers of Neosho and 42 year old Michael E, White of Neosho.