Parsons lockup shows weekend bookings; TBI seizes meth in Decaturville, Parsons raids

Special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Drug Division, working with the Decatur County Sheriff’s Office, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department and the Parsons Police Department, executed search warrants at homes in the 100 block of East Main Street in Parsons and the 200 block of East South Street in Decaturville and seized methamphetamine, marijuana, Xanax and drug paraphernalia. Three adults were arrested and booked into the Decatur County Jail after the operation.

The warrants were executed September 29, and local reports and the TBI press release describe the seizure as including multiple bags of packaged methamphetamine, along with marijuana, Xanax and drug-related items. WBBJ identified one of the arrested men as Bart Nelson McPeak, DOB 9/28/70, who is charged with Possession with Intent to Manufacture/Deliver/Sell Schedule II (Methamphetamine), Simple Possession Schedule VI (Marijuana) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, with bond set at $25,000.

Local3news and the TBI statement both described the action as part of an ongoing drug investigation; the TBI press-release headline reads, ONGOING DRUG INVESTIGATION IN DECATUR COUNTY LEADS TO THREE ARRESTS AND SEIZURE OF DRUGS. Media reports and the agency release consistently note that all three arrestees were booked into the Decatur County Jail following the searches.

The publicly accessible Parsons Police Department lockup roster separately lists several people booked and released during the past weekend and early week, including a DUI booking, indecent exposure charges and multiple driving-related offenses; the roster excerpt provided to reporters is truncated and does not identify whether those entries are related to the September 29 TBI operation. Names, booking times and bond amounts for the two other arrested adults from the TBI operation were not released in the material provided.

Decatur County Jail administrative information lists the facility at 38 North East Street, P.O. Box 427, Decaturville, TN 38329, with phone 731-852-3703 and Jail Administrator Rick Bonds; Sheriff Keith Byrd and Chief Deputy Larry Hill are identified on county jail materials. Decatur County’s posted profile shows a population of 11,686, total area 345 square miles and a 2018 violent crime rate of 46, offering local context to the enforcement activity.

The TBI release cautioned that allegations are accusations, not proof: "The charges and allegations referenced in this release are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law." WBBJ’s post also included the agency motto: "That Guilt Shall Not Escape Nor Innocence Suffer." The investigation remains active and subject to further disclosures from the TBI and local law-enforcement agencies.