Parents charged with manufacturing meth
DANFORTH, Maine — State Police, the state Fire Marshal’s office and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office continue to search for answers in a bizarre series of events Friday that resulted in the death of a 5-month-old baby, while his parents were arrested for drugs and the family’s home was destroyed by fire.
Five-month-old Mach-Danyel Richardson was pronounced dead at the East Grand Health Center in Danforth Friday morning after being brought there by his parents, Alan Richardson and Tabbatha Osnoe.
About one hour later, the couple’s residence — a mobile home on Weatherbee Street — was reported to be on fire.
A family member told The Houlton Pioneer Times over the weekend that Mach-Danyel had no major medical issues, but had been coughing more than usual, with a runny nose in recent months and was also being treated for eczema.
“He was a happy baby that loved to smile and play row row your boat and paddy cakes,” said Tonya Cropley Osnoe. “He sang along with ‘Happy Feet’ movies and was loved very much by all his family. He also loved to tease people.”
According to Steve McCausland, spokesperson for the Maine State Police, the State Fire Marshal’s office is continuing to investigate the cause of the fire, while the Medical Examiner is awaiting tests to conclude a cause of death. An autopsy was performed Saturday, but those tests from the Medical Examiner will take several weeks, he said.
The cause of the child’s death is not known, but is not believed to be connected with the fire.
State Fire Marshal investigators were continuing their efforts to look into the cause of an early morning fire that destroyed the mobile home.
In addition, a 4-year-old son of the couple also lived at the home.
During their investigation of the fire, officials from the state Fire Marshal’s office located several items, which are typically used in conjunction with a “one pot” methamphetamine laboratory. With information provided by the Fire Marshal investigator, along with other independent information, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency agents obtained a search warrant for the residence.
The MDEA’s Aroostook County Task Force and the Clandestine Drug Laboratory Enforcement Team (CDLET) executed a search warrant Saturday at 34 Weatherbee St. and located evidence of a clandestine methamphetamine manufacturing operation
Both Osnoe, 30, and Richardson, 39, were arrested Saturday and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine. Both were on probation at the time of their arrest.
The Maine State Police, the Maine Fire Marshal’s office, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, a chemist from Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory (HETL) and the Danforth Fire Department assisted the CDLET at the scene.
Both Richardson and Osnoe were transported to the Washington County Jail. According to published reports, the two made their first appearance in Washington County Superior Court Monday, where bail was set at $10,000 cash/$50,000 surety for Richardson and $5,000 cash/$25,000 surety for Osnoe.
As of Tuesday morning, neither had posted bail. Trafficking in methamphetamine is a Class B crime in Maine, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $20,000.
