A man who reported a burglary at his Ava residence is now facing drug‑related charges after police found no evidence of an intruder but did locate controlled substances and a discharged firearm inside the home.
According to the Ava Police Department, officers were notified on January 3 that Jaxon Smyth was coming to the station to report a break‑in. Smyth told officers he had used a butterknife to force entry into his locked home and believed someone was inside. He claimed he fired a gun through a door after thinking the person was pushing against it. Smyth arrived at the police department with Abbygail Williams, who drove him there.
Officers noted Smyth was highly animated, twitching, and struggling to recall details—behavior consistent with prior contacts where he was allegedly under the influence of a controlled substance.
Deputies cleared the residence and found no intruder. They did locate a spent shell casing, damage to a bedroom door and dresser, and an unfired .40‑caliber round on the porch. A Glock 22 pistol with an extended magazine was recovered inside.
While checking for evidence of a burglary, officers found suspected psychedelic mushrooms in plain view, along with multiple items associated with marijuana use. With no signs of forced entry and window screens intact, officers determined there was no evidence of a break‑in and placed Smyth and Williams under arrest for possession of a controlled substance while a search warrant was obtained.
The warrant led to the discovery of additional suspected drugs, including methamphetamine residue on a damaged baggie and a makeup mirror, more suspected mushrooms, and remnants of an unidentified pill. The fired round was recovered from a bedroom drawer.
A search of Williams’ vehicle at the police department uncovered a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine inside a wallet containing Smyth’s Missouri ID, along with a rolled dollar bill. Both items field‑tested positive for methamphetamine.
All evidence was seized and processed as the investigation continues.
