Lori Arnold, The methamphetamine drug lord, who sold, manufactured, and distributed drugs worth millions of dollars in the 1980s throughout the American Midwest, is the subject of the Discovery+ documentary Queen of Meth. In the most unlikely of settings, the “real-life Walter White” established a drug empire, and she has now, at last, shared her tale.
When Lori was 14 years old, she developed an alcohol addiction and was on the verge of getting married to a man who was almost ten years her senior. Lori grew up in a troubled environment. After six months of marriage, she divorced him. A few years later, she opened a pub to serve as the hub of her drug trafficking operation.
Lori Arnold leads a peaceful country life in Sandusky, Ohio
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At the height of her drug empire, Lori Arnold made investments in Ottumwa, Iowa, where she grew up. She established respectable companies that hired locals. Using “a perverse sort of altruism,” as The New York Post put it, Lori purchased homes at auction, renovated them, and then left them for low-income locals.
Lori admits that there are more effective ways to support her neighborhood.
According to Lori, “I thought I was doing good, helping others,” The New York Post. “Because I always like to help people and always stand up for the underdog, you know? However, looking back now after all these years, you see that that probably wasn’t the best course of action.
After her second prison sentence, Arnold departed Ottumwa, although she still has feelings for the working-class community. She admitted to MetroPlus that although it was a little challenging for her because of her history, she appreciated going back and seeing how little had changed. It can be challenging for someone like myself who has a history of addiction and triggers.
Lori Arnold now leads a quiet, working-class existence in Sandusky, Ohio
Bill said to The New York Post that “she’s paid her dues.” She stated to People:
“Arnold has many regrets about the path she took in life, particularly in light of the prevalence of addiction among young people.”
Arnold’s son Josh has forgiven her Mom for not being there
When Lori and her husband Floyd Stockdale were detained by police in November 1991 on suspicion of drug possession, Josh Stockdale was just 10 years old. Josh was left in the custody of Lori’s relatives after Lori and Floyd were imprisoned.
Tom, Lori’s brother, claims that allowing Josh to confront his mother about her previous wrongdoings had a significant role in Queen of Meth. Tom said to MetroPlus:
But what happened was that her son, who grew up with this (his parents left when he was 10 to be raised by us), was able to confront her mother in ways that simply would not have happened.
Josh was upset when Lori was sent to prison for drug charges two years after her 1999 release. He never despised Lori, though, and maybe it was because of her arrest that he never abused drugs.
In the documentary, Lori states,
“I got lucky.”
“My son never experimented with drugs. Perhaps that’s because my family reared him once he turned 10 years old. He is a fine man, my son. He did extremely well in the end.
After earning his degree from Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, John worked in customer service at an auto repair shop. In 2018, he wed his wife Jen, and the two of them now share a home in Ottumwa with their two dogs.
Arnold learned not to be too hard on her frequently absent mother from Josh’s experience. I forgive her because she was a bad mother, but I was also a terrible mother, Lori continued.
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