NAACP Believes Results Of Market St. Building Collapse Civil Trial Prove Griffin Campbell's Innocence
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia NAACP says the results of the Market Street building collapse civil trial will ultimately prove imprisoned demolition contractor Griffin Campbell's innocence during the appeal process of his criminal trial.
Demolition contractor Griffin Campbell was one of only two people criminally charged and convicted. But, Campbell and his excavator operator were deemed least responsible by the civil jury, as it assessed money damages.
"They found him negligent, but they did not find him reckless."
Minister Rodney Muhammad, President of the local NAACP chapter, points out the jury found Campbell bore just one percent of the liability. He says the site's owner, developer Richard Basciano, was not charged in the criminal trial, and Plato Marinakos, the architect who hired Campbell, was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony in the criminal proceeding.
"It brought about limited testimony. For all practical purposes, Griffin Campbell was a fall guy."
Campbell is serving a 15 to 30 year prison sentence for his role in the 2013 Salvation ArmyThrift Store disaster. His wife, Kim Lee, says he's trying to hold up as best he can.
"How would anybody hold on that's locked up that thinks that they are innocent and were wrongly accused?"
Unable to hold back tears, she recalls what her husband said after the disaster.
"'I've never seen my husband curl up into a ball and cry in front of me and my children like he did, and say 'I wished that it was him, instead of all of these people.'"
Six people died and 13-were injured, when the unsupported wall of a building being demolished next door flattened the thrift store at 22nd and Market Streets.
Mrs. Campbell finds hope that the civil jury determined that the higher up people in the project were most liable.
"It finally came out what we already knew."
