Charges expected in fatal R.I. fire

Club owners, road manager targeted

PROVIDENCE -- Six months after the nightclub blaze that killed 100 people, Rhode Island prosecutors are wrapping up their grand jury investigation and are expected to seek involuntary manslaughter indictments of the owners of The Station club and the rock band tour manager who set off the illegal indoor fireworks that ignited the blaze, lawyers close to the case say.

No final decision on indictments has been made, but defense lawyers whose clients are under investigation say they expect Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, the brothers who owned The Station, and Daniel Biechele, the road manager for the band Great White, to face charges.

Lawyers say it is unlikely there will be indictments of the members of Great White, who approved of Biechele's use of the pyrotechnics, and of the salesman and manufacturers of the highly flammable foam that lined the walls of the club and greatly accelerated the blaze.

The investigation is expected to be completed and indictments handed up in October.

More - http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/08/17/charges_expected_in_fatal_ri_fire

The club didn't follow the state laws regarding using pyro and the band didn't use a qualified technician.


rocknation

What spectacular, deadly irresponsibility.

RI now has the toughest fire codes in the nation. A bit late, but a step in the right direction.