Athens Man Connected to Fatal Meth Lab Blast Asks Charge to be Dismissed

Friday, July 7th, 2023 -- 1:00 PM

(Karen Madden, Marshfield News Herald) The attorney for a 50-year-old Athens man charged with the death of a 51-year-old Stanley woman is asking a judge to dismiss the charge.

According to Karen Madden with the Marshfield News Herald, Matthew J. Zarins faces charges of homicide by negligent handling of dangerous explosives, conspiracy to manufacture amphetamine, methamphetamine precursor possession, maintaining a drug trafficking place and methamphetamine waste possession.

Zarins' attorneys Jessica Fehrenbach and Christopher Restemayer filed a motion June 30 asking for Taylor County Circuit Judge Ann Bauer-Knox to dismiss the homicide and methamphetamine waste possession charges.

Bauer-Knox gave Taylor County District Attorney Kristi Tlusty until July 21 to respond to the motion to dismiss the charges. Bauer-Knox said she will issue a written ruling on whether to dismiss the two charges.

She also will make a written determination on whether testimony given Thursday by a detective was enough to show a crime probably was committed and Zarins probably did it. According to Taylor County Sheriff Larry Woebbeking, at 12:11 a.m. Jan. 11, a caller reported a fire with injuries at N44 Clark Drive in the Taylor County town of Maplehurst, about 40 miles north of Marshfield.

Taylor County deputies along with fire and ambulance services responded to the fire. A homemade structure built from an old camper frame was on fire. Zarins, the owner of the structure, hurt himself while escaping the fire. He was burned along with other injuries, Woebbeking said.

Jennifer K. Johnson, 51, of Stanley, also got out of the structure, but she was severely burned. Ambulances took Zarins and Johnson to a hospital for treatment, but Johnson died from injuries, Woebbeking said. Zarins recovered.

According to the criminal complaint, firefighters saw beakers, glass tubes and tubing in and around the burnt camper. Officers believed the items found were used to create methamphetamines. Zarins told an investigator he smoked methamphetamines five days earlier, but he denied knowing anything about manufacturing methamphetamines.

Zarins remains in jail pending a $40,000 cash bail. If convicted of all charges, Zarins faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

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