PROVO, Utah – The BYU student accused of having a meth lab in his apartment has turned himself in to Provo Police.
Authorities issued a warrant for 21-year-old Bryce Cazier’s arrest Wednesday.
He is now being questioned by investigators.
Lt. Brandon Post said investigators and Drug Enforcement Administration clean up crews who were at Cazier’s apartment have maintained since the beginning there was a meth lab in the apartment.
Lt. Post said oils and products associated with making soap were in Cazier’s apartment, and he could have been making soap, but there was also a meth lab inside.
However, Cazier’s attorney, Jere Reneer, said Tuesday that isn’t the case.
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” Reneer said. “He makes organic soaps. He does herbal extracts. He’s kind of into the organic chemistry thing. It would be the Mormon equivalent of brewing your own beer.”
A quick search online shows tutorials for making soap that involves equipment and a crystallization process Reneer believes is similar to what you would see in a drug lab.
“It's unlikely that the investigators even knew what they were picking up,” Reneer said. “Obviously, it's clear what they think they saw.”
Authorities have not divulged exactly what they found.
The items removed from the apartment on Friday are still in the process of being
tested and reviewed.
“It appears it may be a meth lab, according to the investigators who were out there. That’s what we’re looking into at this point,” Det. Chris Chambers said.
Investigators initially said they were having difficulty finding Cazier but Reneer argued that was because he had left for a weekend trip to Salt Lake City before police were even called.
Cazier learned about the search of his apartment from his parents who had seen it on the news.
“This is a returned missionary with no legal history other than a speeding ticket,” Reneer said. “It's not some meth lab dealer guy that we are dealing with."
