Contractor charged with murder in building collapse

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA

A cut-rate building contractor will face murder charges for a botched demolition in downtown Philadelphia that killed six people inside an adjacent store, officials announced Monday.

Prosecutors called Griffin Campbell “the center of culpability” for the June collapse, and said he ignored his client’s warning the night before that disaster was imminent.

“The tragic and preventable collapse ... robbed our city of six amazing Philadelphians that perished in the rubble and left an additional 13 wounded,” Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said at a news conference. “The motive was greed.”

Campbell, 49, had a deadline to meet, was being paid a flat fee, and wanted to preserve as much salvageable material as he could, leading him to cut corners, Williams said. He charged Campbell with six counts each of third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, along with other charges.

Griffin’s subcontractor, equipment operator Sean Benschop, previously had been charged with involuntary manslaughter, and remains in custody on $1.6 million bail.