Contractor Charged With Murder in Philly Collapse

Griffin Campbell will also face charges of manslaughter, reckless endangerment
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Nov 25, 2013 1:19 PM CST
Contractor Charged With Murder in Philly Collapse
In this June 5, 2013 file photo rescue personnel search the scene of a building collapse in downtown Philadelphia.   (AP Photo/Jacqueline Larma, File)

The contractor who oversaw a botched building demolition that killed six people in a Salvation Army thrift store in Philadelphia is being charged with murder, manslaughter, and reckless endangerment. Officials said today that Griffin Campbell is also charged with risking a catastrophe and criminal conspiracy, in addition to the six counts of third-degree murder, six counts of involuntary manslaughter, and 13 counts of endangerment.

In the collapse, an unsupported wall crashed down onto the neighboring thrift store, trapping and killing shoppers inside. The charges are the first since excavator operator Sean Benschop was charged this summer on six counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly operating heavy equipment while high on marijuana and painkillers. (More building collapse stories.)

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