PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A contractor was charged with third-degree murder in the collapse of a building in Philadelphia that killed six people, a prosecutor said Monday.
Griffin T. Campbell, 49, is charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment, causing catastrophe and criminal conspiracy in addition to the six counts of murder, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
"The motive is greed," Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said.
Authorities previously charged excavator operator Sean Benschop with involuntary manslaughter and related counts in the June 5 collapse of a four-story building being demolished that fell on an adjacent Salvation Army thrift shop. Benschop was working under Campbell's direction, Williams said.
Thirteen people were hurt in addition to those killed in the incident.
Authorities allege Campbell created an unsafe situation when he had the wooden floor joists removed from the building being demolished so they could be resold. That left the exterior walls unsupported.
"They should have been taking the building down brick by brick, floor by floor," Williams said, referring to a more costly and time-consuming method.
One worker told the grand jury that indicted Campbell last week the contractor waved off his safety concerns.
"It was a lot of risk doing it the way he was doing it," the worker told the panel.
