Ghost Ship trial: Prosecutors take aim at defense's arson theory
Prosecutors in the Ghost Ship trial took direct aim Tuesday at the defense’s contention that the deadly Oakland warehouse fire might have been started by a band of arsonists.
Ryan O’Keefe testified that he helped collect money for the warehouse’s music show the night of Dec. 2, 2016, when a fire ripped through the space and killed 36 people. During his examination, prosecutor Autrey James asked O’Keefe if he ever heard or saw evidence of anyone throwing a Molotov cocktail in the building, as defense attorney Tony Serra had previously suggested.
“No,” O’Keefe said.
Tuesday marked the second day of witness testimony in the case against Derick Almena, 49, and Max Harris, 29, who are each charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
As the Ghost Ship’s tenant and creative director, respectively, Almena and Harris lived in the Ghost Ship warehouse’s artists collective and were responsible for its dangerous conditions, prosecutors said. There were few safety measures installed in the 10,000-square-foot warehouse, where up to 25 people were living illegally. On the night of the fire, dozens more were invited into the space, which has been described as a tinderbox.
Read more: https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Ghost-Ship-trial-Prosecutors-take-aim-at-13826602.php