PANAMA CITY -- A 40-year-old Southport man could spend the rest of his life in prison after a jury convicted him Monday of drug trafficking and manufacturing meth, according to the State Attorney’s Office.
Thomas Michael Palmer called the Sheriff’s Office to his home Sept. 10, 2013, to complain he had been battered by a relative. Deputies noticed smoke and a chemical smell coming from the home as soon as the door opened, and during a consensual search they found chemicals used in the shake-and-bake manufacturing process, as well as a batch in the process of cooking.
Palmer, because of his prior drug convictions is classified as a habitual felony offender and could face life in prison. No sentencing date was set at the conclusion of his trial.