Two people face a total of 24 felony charges in connection with a fire at a Fennimore hotel May 19.
Tabitha M. Cory, 34, Fennimore, made her first appearance in Grant County Circuit Court in Lancaster June 6 on charges of conspiracy to manufacture or deliver up to three grams of methamphetamine, neglecting a child with a consequence of bodily harm, possession of drug paraphernalia to manufacture methamphetamine in the presence of a child 14 or younger, eight counts of party to intentionally disposing of methamphetamine waste, and two counts of maintaining a drug trafficking place.
Cory’s preliminary hearing will be held June 29. She is free on $1,000 signature bond with a condition that she submit to a drug test every Wednesday and Saturday afternoon.
Christopher William Denning, 26, Benton, made his first appearance in Grant County Circuit Court in Lancaster June 7 on charges of possession of methamphetamine, manufacture or delivery of up to 3 grams of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia to manufacture methamphetamine in the presence of a child 14 or younger, and eight counts of party to intentionally disposing of methamphetamine waste.
All of Denning’s charges have repeater sentence enhancers.
Bond was set at $1,000. Denning is in the Grant County Jail according to online records.
The charges are in connection with a fire in a room at the Fenmore Hills Hotel May 19, in which Denning suffered second- and third-degree burns. Grant County sheriff’s deputies discovered an active meth lab in the room after the fire was extinguished. Cory was arrested in Iowa County after an Attempt to Locate bulletin was issued.
Cory’s 14- and 12-year-old children were placed in temporary foster care by Iowa County Social Services. The 12-year-old sustained minor burn injuries in the fire.
Authorities are also investigating a house fire in the Town of Mount Ida where Denning, Cory and Cory’s children were living May 16, three days before the hotel fire. Authorities found approximately 10 one-pot meth labs and discarded meth making materials in the house after the fire.
