195 Years: Todd Perkins Sentenced For Explosion That Destroyed Denver 4-Plex
DENVER (AP) — A handyman convicted of intentionally causing an explosion that leveled a brick rowhome in Denver, injuring nine people, including himself, has been sentenced to 195 years in prison.
Todd Perkins, who was sentenced Friday, was found guilty in January of multiple charges stemming from the Aug. 14, 2018, blast near downtown, including attempted first-degree murder, arson and assault.
He was accused of sparking the explosion after breaking into one of the apartments, pouring gasoline in several places and using a wrench to release natural gas from lines leading to a stove. Pieces of wood were thrown like sticks, and bricks were spilled on the ground in front of the one-story building as a result of the blast.
Prosecutors say Perkins was retaliating against the owner of the building, who had recently fired him from his role as a handyman.
District Attorney Beth McCann called the sentence wholly appropriate, saying Perkins "was calculating and callous in his intent to inflict the maximum harm on his victims."
The defense said he is a scapegoat, and there is no physical evidence directly linking him to the crime.
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