Alleged laundry theft leads to Joplin woman's arrest on meth charge

A Joplin woman was charged with possession of a controlled substance after crystal meth was found in her boot following her arrest on a misdemeanor stealing charge, according to a probable cause statement filed today in Jasper County Circuit Court.

The statement says the Joplin Police Department began investigating Justine Elaine Manning (DOB 1992) after receiving a complaint that Manning had stolen someone else's clothing from a laundry room.

From the probable cause statement:

Manning has not given the clothes back to the owner despite knowing where the owner is and admitted to still having some of the clothes at her house. The total cost of the clothes taken is estimated to be $500. I contacted and arrested Manning on 12/18/23. 

After arriving at the jail, corrections officers discovered a clear ziplock bag in Manning’s right boot containing 3.5g of a white crystal substance that Manning identified as meth while under a Miranda Warning.