Police find more than 100 pot plants growing in couple's basement

Photos courtesy of Evansville-Vanderburgh Joint Drug Task Force
Police say they found more than 100 marijuana plants growing in an elaborate operation in the basement of an Evansville couple's home. Ronald Earl Hill, 44, and Teresa Kaye Hill, 48, were each preliminary charged with dealing in marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance.


Ronald Hill

Ronald Hill

Teresa Hill

Teresa Hill

An Evansville couple was arrested Thursday after police found more than 100 marijuana plants growing in their basement.

Ronald Earl Hill, 44, and Teresa Kaye Hill, 48, were each charged with dealing in marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance.

Police found the plants in a basement at 1605 Olive St. Detectives with the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force obtained a search warrant and entered the home. The Hills refused to cooperate and said they wanted to hire an attorney, according a police report.

The detectives searched the home and found processed marijuana, seeds, two shotguns and other drug paraphernalia. The growing operation in the basement was equipped with "extensive grow lights, ballasts, fans, reflective tarps and timers," the report said.

The odor in the basement was so strong that detectives had to wear respirators, the report said.

The Hills remained in the Vanderburgh County Jail this morning, both with no bond.


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Comments » 69

Pepto writes:

What were they smoking when they wrote this sentence:


JMNSHO writes:

I'm thinking that the period after "St" was intended to do double-duty as the period at the end of the sentence. I believe that's generally accepted. What I find interesting is that shotguns are drug paraphernalia ("The detectives searched the home and found processed marijuana, seeds, two shotguns and other drug paraphernalia.")

Dog_Pack_Mom writes:

Respirators, oh brother. And what is the significance of the shotguns anyway? Can you imagine how many homes contain shotguns in So. Indiana? They go after pot people because they're easier to catch. Leave 'em alone. Surely there are seatbelt violations to catch.

heckofaguy writes:

tue loco have you never heard of "shotgunning"?

heckofaguy writes:

the story or the writing? nobody died.

JMNSHO writes:

heckofaguy, actually, no, I have never heard of shotgunning. What does it mean?

heckofaguy writes:

it was a joke,you don't really use a shotgun to do it. someone is smoking and then they kiss you and blow smoke into your mouth.

JMNSHO writes:

I figured it was a joke. I just didn't get it. (I have apparently led a sheltered life.) It sounds really disgusting to me. But I am glad to hear it has nothing to do with an actual shotgun. When you said shotgunning, I was picturing someone removing the shotgun barrel and somehow making it an apparatus to do drugs.

emiller#80090 writes:

I grow tobacco in my basement. When is THAT going to be against the law? I mean it's all about the money anyway. OMG.....I love to get stoned! 4:20 here we come. I wonder if they could make some hash oil from those respirator filters.

smalltownmom writes:

hey they actually had that type of scenario on CSI once about the shotgunning, maybe it is real.although on the show they smoke some kind of powder rather than marijuana. actually as a parent of 3 teenagers and a step-parent to 4 more I'm glad they removed this operation from the drug trade at least for now. I'm sure they will be up and operating again as soon as they get freed.

Kazz writes:

Shotgunning actually has nothing to do with kissing...just being in close proximity...you blow the smoke through the toking end of the joint and the recipient inhales closely. It is more like a power hit than anything.

Not that I know anything about drug use of any sort :-)

maclee4427 writes:

How did they even know they were growing pot in their basement, was it an informer or what. just wondering.

soulcasserole writes:

So I would like to know if these groweres had regular jobs or were they unemployed?
If they were unemployed,were they on some sort of government assiatance?
And if they worked for a living,where did they work?
Hey courier and press,got any pictures of the growers,or their home,or the dope?

whatsayu writes:

Glad they got busted...

whipple#27615 writes:

Just wait until the Task Force discovers that they're not pot plants...they're African tomato plants!

(And guess how the Task Force will discover that...)

Cynic writes:

maclee4427 - it could have been an informer or it could have been the power company alerting authorities to a large increase in power usage as that type operation uses a lot of power according to what I have read over the years. Power Company employees know to look for large increases in usage or usage much higher, pun intended, than the average households of the same size or in the same area and will often alert the police when they see suspicious usage.

Some stories I have read recently in the LA Times where not just basements but entire houses have been gutted and were being used for grow operations they actually steal the power from other sources to try and cover their tracks. What was interesting about the situation with these houses is that there was no one living in them, they were just used to grow marijuana, which given the cost of real estate in California should indicate how much money they can make off of selling it.

We should legalize it and tax the heck out of it and use the money for something good. Instead we keep it illegal and all the profits go to criminals and gangs. But common sense doesn’t seem to count for much in this country at times and this is just one of those cases.

whipple#27615 writes:

BTW--new season of "Weeds" on Showtime starts August 13. "Give in to hemptation."

saveylinda writes:

lmao! Call the rehab center these people really need help. Oh my goodness they smoke pot. Really lets worry about the criminals in the city.

theshadow writes:

Under Federal Law a felon can't own any firearm. Glad to see they got this stuff before it hit the street and sold. Good job guys!!

stdavid#22977 writes:

Olive Street residents to the rescue.

spud writes:

I'm not an illegal drug user, nor have I ever been...guess I've led a sheltered life, too, but I HAD HEARD about 'shotgunning' & getting a 'contact' high.

Anyways, I think ALL drugs should just be legalized, monitored etc. We all know how the gov't loves to legislate things in our lives, so this could be a real money-maker! 'Course, I'll venture to opine that maybe it already IS A REAL MONEY-MAKER for some deep pockets?

If legalized, then there wouldn't be 'labs', hidden 'plants', 'drug deals' etc which bring an unwanted element into neighbor(hoods).

By the way, what DOES LAW ENFORCEMENT DO WITH 'CONFISCATED' DRUGS? Does anyone KNOW? I can only speculate & I, of course, am sooo-ooo jaded, I don't even trust myself any more!!

poet_online1#139282 writes:

Seriously, we should all be more concerned about that woman's children drinking out of their filthy porecelain pot, than these people growing pot plants.

whipple#27615 writes:

Spud: cool! Downtown, riverside coffee shops with buds for sale. And they're taxed! We could build 2 new stadiums from what I've seen in this town.

maclee4427 writes:

I agree pot should be legalized and taxed, just as liquor and tobacco is, this would create so much revenue it would erase our national defecit in no time at all. Besides it has been proven that marijuana has some medical uses as well. I have been around people that smoke pot and people that drink alcohol. I would much rather be in the middle of a bunch of people smoking pot any day rather than even one person drinking whiskey. I have never seen people smoking pot wanting to get violent or commit a crime like someone drunk from alcohol.

hc66 writes:

I beg to differ with a lot of people, any illegal drug user should be in jail and a bust like this to credited to the work of our law enforcement. POT IS A DRUG AND ITS ADDICTIVE! Maybe not chemically or biologically but a person can become addicted to the high/sense of pleasure. It would be the biggest mistake of the government if they legalize it. Maybe instead of saying we should make pot more accessible to our youth like alcohol or tobacco, we could work on the prevention of them using drugs at all.

whipple#27615 writes:

I spend way too much money on drugs:
naproxen sodium

maclee4427 writes:

You sound like somebody that has never experimented with any type of drugs, first of all pot is not addictive unless you are a person that gets addicted to anything they do,second alcohol and tobacco are more addictive than almost any drug. Iknow this for a fact as I am addicted to tobacco. I have tried many times to quit smoking even made it for three years at one time, but am smoking again I used to smoke a lot of pot in my youth, and do not smoke it now, just lost interest. Quitting was easy, alcohol I would probably be considered an alcoholic by some standards, because I used to drink almost every day. Not any more lost interest, I do have an occaisonal beer or two, but not very often, but I do still smoke even knowing that it will proably end up killing me.
When I started smoking at the age of 12 there were no laws governing the sale of tobacco, any one who had a quarter could buy A pack of smokes. I am glad that tobacco sales are regulated now, but wish they would have been when I started, might not of ever tried it if it had been.
Thats how i feel about pot if it were legal and regulated maybe there would be less young people wanting to try it, as we kn
ow when your young most people experiment with alcohol and such, and decide it's not for them.
As I said before I would much rather be in acrowd of potheads than be in room with just one drunk.

Cynic writes:

hc66 - nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine are all legal and all both chemically and biologically addictive yet they are legal so should we make them illegal as well? I see pre-teens and teens pounding speed in can all the time yet no one seems too concerned with it.

maclee4427 - I couldn't agree with you more on your statement that pot smokers are not violent while those who use alcohol often are. I’ve never heard of a “mean stoner” while a “mean drunk” can be found just about anywhere that people are consuming alcohol.

Opinion writes:

I will assume that it is safe to say that everyone in support of legalizing pot will also be willing to let their children ride in a car with the driver while they are high on the stuff. Also I am asuming it will also be okay for them babysit your children while smoking the dope. There is a reason why they say stay away from someone on drugs. Get a clue and open your eyes because our children are counting on us to act like adults and improve the world not make it worst.

whipple#27615 writes:

That's why we need more bike paths, Opinion.

Cynic writes:

Opinion - no more than I would allow children to ride in a car or be babysat by someone drunk.

hc66 writes:

You know if you want pot legalized go live in the Red Light District. As for the comment about no one being concerned about the kids taking speed, I meant we need to work on ALL DRUG prevention. I know must who smoked pot will also disagree because you did not use any other drugs or its not to blame for you using another drug, but remember this, for many people pot is a GATEWAY drug.

TerribleLie writes:


".. for many people pot is a GATEWAY drug."

Correction, for many people, calling pot a gateway drug is a convenient argument. A fallacious one, yes, but convenient.

If you consider pot a gateway drug do you also consider alcohol, tobacco and caffeine gateway drugs?

The only gateway effect pot has over the others is the fact that, in order to obtain it, you must interact with people involved in the other substances. There are no facts supporting your conclusion though.

TerribleLie writes:


So, by your logic, you are either for making alcohol illegal or you are ok with your kids riding in the car with someone who is drunk?

I'm afraid your "opinion" this time lacks the basic logic you usually use. Oppose marijuana legalization if you want but don't use silly arguments like that. There are plenty of real ones for you to choose from.

TerribleLie writes:


"Maybe not chemically or biologically but a person can become addicted to the high/sense of pleasure."

So, by your logic we should make television illegal. After all, some people become addicted to it, don't they?

I say, personal responsibility is the way to go. Make pot legal but make the usage while operating a vehicle, etc. a criminal offense with greater punishment than there currently is.

If you aren't hurting anyone why should anything be illegal? Methinks the government likes its power and the money it makes off the "War on Drugs" TM.

ssterchaos writes:

With all the pot they were growing, they probably didn't need jobs.

cat writes:

Opinion-people who smoke pot usually don't drive-takes too much energy-but they would probably wear out your couch!

WeR77 writes:

How productive would society be if we legalized pot?

whipple#27615 writes:

Besides, kids high on pot while driving would be too paranoid to try to talk on their cell phones at the same time. That stuff scares me more than anything, because it is a direct threat to my safety.

oooo! and I saw a kid on the Tee Time course yesterday actually interrupt his swing to answer his cell phone. outrageous!

(don't I ever work?)

hc66 writes:

You know its nice to know some of you are here supporting criminal activity.
Opinion- you are right, the youth of our community counts on people acting like adults and keeping them anyway from people who encourage them to become criminals.
DemonJeanie- So what are you going say to a 18 with criminal record because he or she "experimented" with illegal drugs.

pit_advocate#118129 writes:

I'd have to say, I agree with the legalization of marjauna. I don't smoke, I have, but no longer. It seems that our society has agreed on this one thing; it's OK to not be responsible for your actions and choices, just outlaw everything and nobody will die or commit crimes.

If not for the "war on drugs" then thousands of men and women across this country would lose their jobs, and all that money spent on law enforcement would have to be spent somewhere else.

There's alot of communist views from these "nancy-boy" citizens. In all aspects of LIFE, if each and every person would be held accountable for their actions, no matter who they are, society would be much better. If your ignorant and commit a crime, go to jail. If your drunk and commit a crime, go to jail. If your stoned and commit a crime, go to jail. It's all the same. If you allow your dog to run loose, or attack other dogs......guess what, you should go to jail too.

good day Evansville.

WeR77 writes:

What's the next argument? "Well, It's natural and if God didn't want us smoking it, he wouldn't have created it." Go ahead, use that one as well.

whipple#27615 writes:

B: Tell me. What do you do with witches?
B: And what do you burn apart from witches?
Villager: More Witches!
Other Villager: Wood.
B: So. Why do witches burn?

(long silence)
(shuffling of feet by the villagers)

B: Goooood!
One Villager: Build a bridge out of 'er!
Villagers: oh yeah. oh. umm...
B: Does wood sink in water?
One Villager: No! No, no, it floats!
Other Villager: Throw her into the pond!
Villagers: yaaaaaa!

(when order is restored)

B: What also floats in water?
Villager: Bread!
Another Villager: Apples!
Another Villager: Uh...very small rocks!
Another Villager: Cider!
Another Villager: Uh...great gravy!
Another Villager: Cherries!
Another Villager: Mud!
Another Villager: Churches! Churches!
Another Villager: Lead! Lead!
King Arthur: A Duck!
Villagers: (in amazement) ooooooh!
B: exACTly!
Villager: (very slowly, with pauses between each word)
B: and therefore...


Villager: A Witch!
All Villagers: A WITCH!

FACTchecker writes:

Sheesh. What a waste of time, money, and 100 good pot plants.

soulcasserole writes:

Okay we legalize pot.. Your teacher is a heavy pot user,,no problem right, you doctor is a heavy pot user,,no problem right,, I doubt if he would give a wrong or bad examination.. your baby sitter is a pot smoker,,no problem right,, Im sure they will keep a good eye on your child.. your school bus driver pot smoker,,no problem,, Who needs good reflexs driving a bus full of school children. Your firemen are heavy pot smokers.. no problem right,,your house is on fire or their is a medical emergency at your house,Im sure they will still perform at the best of their impaired ability.. The ER doctor is a heavy pot smoker,,no problem,,,Im sure the doctor will be sharp,and recongized any emergency problems you may have..The police officers that are called to your home for a crime in progress are heavy pot smokers.. no problem right.. Im sure they will still be able to shoot straight,or figure out what happen,and who should go to jail. The electrian who comes to your house to rewire the home is a heavy pot smoker,,no problem,, The UPS man delivering items to your home or business in a heavy pot smoker,,no problem,,, Im sure they will take good care of your packages.
One of my favorite anti drug commerical,is two guys sitting in a upstairs room. Both are smoking pot..Both appear to be in the late 20's early 30's. Both make claims to the camera that since they been smoking pot nothing happens to them. They did not kill anyone,,they do not suffer from psychois...Then you hear a woman's voice. Jeffrey what are you guys doing up there. One of the guys says "NOTHING MOM". Then they start opening windows to get the smoke out of the room..losers...

misread writes:

I don't agree all drugs should be legal,but pot being in the same class as others(heroin, ect.) is wrong. Going fishing can be addicting, and against the law. Legalizing pot with taxes added would free up many prison cells for the people that really need to be in there.Also giving us a new source of revenue after the cigarette band takes place.

misread writes:

Run into a drunk, spilling his drink,and he will jump up and say"I'm going to kick your A**!" Run into a stoner, spilling his drink, and he will say"DUDE I might want to kick your A**....later

lugnut writes:

I am so proud of all the pot smokers. Look at all of these posts. Smok'em if you got'em

Cynic writes:

logger - again you could say the same thing about heavy drinkers. Marijuana should not be used when at work, driving, etc. etc. just like alcohol. It is very simple; pot is no worse, and is likely much less dangerous to a person and society in general, than alcohol. Both my grandfather and father died early due to excessive drinking. I've lost friends due to drunk drivers. I’ve had friends put in the hospital due to drunks deciding that they wanted to hurt someone. But I have never had a friend or relative hurt due to their own or another person’s pot usage.

As for that commercial sure there are some people like that, but everyone I know who uses it is are professionals, college educated, work , and live on their own. Get over the Cheech and Chong image because reality is much different.

misread writes:

underyourskin ..That was a joke I remember hearing in the 70s . Sorry it got under your skin
