OSAGE COUNTY  —   Lisa C. McNulty, 38, of Linn, was charged on May 23 with possession of a controlled substance, child endangerment, and unlawful use of a weapon, all felonies.

According to Detective David Neumann’s probable cause statement, he initiated the traffic stop on Hwy. 50 near CR 608 because the registration had expired on April 28, 2024. A 12-year-old child was also present in the vehicle.

Det. Neumann noted that McNulty acted nervously during the stop, to a degree that “far exceeded the level that I have come to expect from members of the innocent motoring public.”

Based on McNulty’s suspicious behavior during the stop, including when asked if there was illegal contraband in the car, Det. Neumann asked for consent to search the vehicle. McNulty declined, so Det. Neumann deployed K-9 Tina to do a free-air sniff, during which, the dog alerted to the odor of a controlled substance.

Det. Neumann then conducted a search, during which he found a baggie containing approximately 0.5 grams of meth. During a further search, the detective located a black pouch containing a loaded 9-millimeter handgun with 12 rounds in the magazine, an additional loaded magazine, and three empty magazines.

McNulty has a prior conviction for drug possession from Phelps County in 2006. She is also serving two years unsupervised probation for a 2022 conviction for property damage and again for a conviction earlier this year for driving without insurance.

McNulty was transported to the Osage County Detention Center and was scheduled to make her initial appearance before Judge Sonja Brandt at 10 a.m. on June 4.