Opinion ID: 2998977
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Inspector James Kitner

Text: Inspector Kitner’s testimony closely tracked Officer Butterfield’s account. He testified that when he arrived at the complex he recognized Julius from a file photograph. Although the two had never met, Kitner had “received information from various people that [Julius] was possibly involved in the manufacture of methamphetamine.” But Kitner recalled the man sitting in the car with Julius as being a “short, bald, white male,” rather than a man with long hair, as Butterfield had described him. Kitner testified that Julius agreed to show the officers the bathtub into which he said he had poured drain cleaner. But when the officers entered the apartment they perceived a harsh chemical haze inconsistent with commercial drain cleaners, and at that point asked for and received Julius’ permission to search the rest of the apartment. Upon finding “several hundred” pseudoephedrine pills, drain cleaner bottles, and “a glass jar with methamphetamine actually stuck to the sides,” the officers arrested Julius. At some point during his time in the apartment, Inspector Kitner had learned that the “short, bald, white male” he had seen sitting in the car with Julius was named Stoneking. Kitner was familiar with that name, although he had never met the man. Kitner testified that another task force member, Tom Bonnett, had prior to that occasion told him about a man named Russell Stoneking, who was suspected of involvement with a house fire in Springfield, Illinois, that had been started by an out-of-control meth lab. Kitner also recalled that Bonnett wanted to speak with Stoneking about the fire. Inspector Kitner went back downstairs to get supplies (such as evidence bags) to complete the search. He estimated that he had been upstairs for no more than fifteen or twenty minutes before he came down for the materials. When Kitner came down, he observed Corporal Coons and Stoneking standing “like they had been talking.” Stoneking, who was not handcuffed and did not appear to Kitner to be detained, was smoking a cigarette. Kitner called Agent Bonnett from his 1 Stoneking was bald at the time of the hearing, and other witnesses testified that he was bald at the time in question, but there is no dispute that it was Stoneking that Butterfield saw first inside the apartment and later in the car. No. 05-2609 Page 4 truck and asked if he was still interested in speaking with Stoneking. Bonnett replied that he already had discussed the fire with Stoneking, but after talking to him had received information about his involvement with other methamphetamine cooks and his possession of weapons. Bonnett also informed Kitner that Stoneking had said during interviews “that he would shoot it out if he was going to be arrested.” After hanging up with Bonnett, Kitner asked Coons if he had searched Stoneking; when Coons said that he had not, Kitner asked Stoneking for permission to search him. Kitner testified that at this point in his mind he perceived Stoneking to be detained and not free to leave. Stoneking assented to the search and began to empty out his pants pockets. Among the objects he removed was a 9 millimeter cartridge. Because Bonnett had told Kitner that Stoneking was a felon, Kitner placed him under arrest for illicit possession of ammunition. After Stoneking’s arrest a canine unit arrived at the apartment. The dog “alerted” to Stoneking’s car, indicating the presence of drugs. Inside the car police found a 9 millimeter pistol, a .22 caliber revolver, and a semi-automatic rifle modified to fire automatically. Stoneking’s fingerprints were on each weapon. The search also uncovered more than 100 rounds of ammunition, paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine manufacturing, and the equivalent of 31 grams of methamphetamine. Inspector Kitner testified that after the search and Stoneking’s arrest he proceeded to make incriminating statements, but Kitner did not give details.