As a young child, Lori Arnold had questions about her strange upbringing. Her mother, Linda, moved out when she was a toddler. After leaving Lori, Tom, and their younger brother Scott, in the care of their strict and unloving father – Lori’s mom became more of a confidante to her than a mother.
At the age of 14, she wanted to marry a 23-year-old man. Even though Tom, 16, was horrified, their mother drove Linda across State lines to get the marriage license.
After Lori’s marriage failed after 6 months, she moved back home to attend 8th grade and work as a cocktail waitress alongside her mother. It was here she began drinking, doing drugs, and sometimes dealing drugs to supplement her pay as a waitress.
Eventually, when Lori was in her mid-20s she became a methamphetamine drug lord. She was known as one of the most prolific meth dealers in the Midwest, eventually grossing more than $200,000 per week.
In 1991 the FBI arrested her and seized an estimated $10 million in assets. She was convicted and served 15 years behind bars, leaving her then 10-year-old son.
Now 30 years later, she and Tom are telling their story in a 3-part docuseries on Discovery+ called “Queen of Meth”.
Lori is trying to make amends for the lives lost to the addiction she actually profited from. She hopes the details of her life will help others who are smothered in addiction.
