Percy Police to investigate whether man's burns related to meth-making

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[In the coming days Percy Chief of Police David Rednour--who also serves as assistant warden at the Pinckneyville Correction Center--will open an investigation as to whether a Percy man's serious burns were the result of a meth-making incident gone bad.

Former Perry County resident?Josh Stacey, who at one time resided in West Perry County, is a patient in a St. Louis hospital burn unit, said Rednour.

According to Rednour, Stacey admitted himself to the nearby Memorial Hospital of Chester last week for burn treatment the day after the incident happened. His burns were too serious and he needed to be transferred to a St. Louis hospital.

Rednour, a former member of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, said his investigation will focus on whether Stacey was engaged in a meth-making technique called "shake and bake" where meth components are placed in a jar, then shaken.

Rednour said one attempt has been made at questioning Stacey, but burns to his face and groin were too severe to get the answers he is looking for.

Rednour said the man has not been charged with anything, but there is enough information about the case to at least conduct an investigation.

The most dangerous ingredient in a "Shake and Bake" meth cook is lithium.

One drop of water will light this chemical on fire. Humidity or even human sweat will set it off.

Usually the explosions occur when the container ruptures or the lithium burns a hole in it.