Missoula Woman Drops Meth While Picking Up Her Seized Car

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - At approximately 4:21 p.m. on April 2, 2025,  a 911 caller reported that a female just dropped a bag of meth inside their parking lot in the 300 block of N Russell St. The caller explained that another employee was standing over the meth until officers arrived. The female left on foot and was last seen running over the Russell St bridge northbound.  

A Missoula Police Department officer responded and met with the caller in the front of the lot. He walked the officer back to where the bag of meth was dropped. The officer asked the caller who the female was, and he said she identified herself as 25-year-old Mersadies Bates. The officer immediately recognized this name from other law enforcement contacts.  

The officer walked back to the parking lot and observed the bag on the ground. The officer picked it up and immediately recognized the white crystal-like substance in the bag as methamphetamine. The officer spoke with three tow truck drivers who all watched the small bag of meth fall out and onto the ground. Mersadies went to pick it up, and one driver said that he told her to leave it on the ground and that they were calling the Police. They said that Mersadies then started fast walking away to leave.  

The officer went over to the car that she was looking through and saw evidence tape all over it. He learned that this vehicle was seized by the Missoula Police Department on the previous day and was just released to the towing company after a search warrant was executed. 

The officer saw Mersadies walking into the McDonald's parking lot off of Liberty Rd. The officer got out of his vehicle, walked up to her, and placed her under arrest. The officer searched her incident to arrest and located a large plastic bag in her right pant pocket that contained multiple smaller bags of methamphetamine. There were 8 total bags of methamphetamine with similar weights to them. 

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

The officer placed her in his vehicle and then read her Miranda warning to her. Mersadies said that it's her vehicle but not her meth. She said that she went in there to find her ID but couldn't find it. She said that she saw the bags of meth on the front passenger floorboard and then grabbed them because she didn't want it in her car. 

Mersadies was placed under arrest and was transported to the Missoula County Detention Center. She is currently being charged with felony criminal possession of dangerous drugs. Her bond was set at $10,000. 

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.