Claim and counter-claim as murder trial gets underway.
A demolition contractor has gone on trial for murder in the deaths of six people killed when a building being demolished collapsed on a thrift store in Philadelphia.
In opening statements Wednesday, a defense lawyer painted Griffin Campbell as a scapegoat in the June 2013 deaths. Lawyer William Hobson accused the city of lax oversight of demolition work. Investigators said Campbell left a towering brick wall unsupported before it crashed down on the store, burying shoppers and workers in rubble. They say he had removed support beams to sell them for salvage.
A subcontractor has pleaded guilty to six counts of involuntary manslaughter. Campbell, 51, has rejected the same offer. He faces third-degree murder charges. The architect who accepted Campbell’s cut-rate bid has been granted immunity for his testimony.
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