Parents arrested after meth, 850 needles found in Tell City home

Police say a Tell City home held an alarming stash of drug gear and suspected methamphetamine after a traffic stop led officers to a juvenile in the back seat and a search tied to a Hamilton County warrant. Investigators seized about 850 hypodermic needles, many of them used and some containing suspected methamphetamine and blood, along with about 15 grams of suspected meth.

Zachary Duncan and Haley Burton were arrested and taken to the Perry County Jail without incident. Both were identified as the parents of the juvenile found in the vehicle and in the home tied to the search. Duncan was charged with dealing methamphetamine, neglect of a dependent and possession of a hypodermic syringe, while authorities also said he was being held on active Hamilton County warrants that included possession of methamphetamine, causing serious bodily injury while operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance, possession of a hypodermic syringe and operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance.

The investigation began May 13, when Noblesville police asked Indiana State Police’s Drug Enforcement Section to help locate Duncan, who had been wanted since September 2024. Troopers learned the 30-year-old was likely in the Tell City area and saw him leave a residence the next day. With help from Tell City police, officers stopped the vehicle and found used hypodermic needles inside, along with the juvenile in the back seat. A Perry County Sheriff’s Office K-9 alerted to narcotics, leading officers to seek and serve a search warrant at the residence Duncan had left.

Tell City sits along the Ohio River and has about 7,500 residents, making the seizure a serious public safety issue in a small river city where drug trafficking can ripple quickly through neighborhoods, homes and schools. Indiana law treats neglect of a dependent as a Level 6 felony, but that charge can be elevated when it happens in a setting tied to meth dealing or manufacturing, underscoring the gravity of the allegations in this case.

The arrest also fits into Perry County’s wider substance-abuse fight. County officials have tied enforcement to prevention, treatment and coordination efforts through the Perry County Substance Abuse Committee, which says its mission is to address the health and social damage caused by substance use.