Criminal Case for Moultonborough, NH Gas Explosion

By Brian Vargo

Published on July 22, 2005

Taft cut the gas line in order to move a stove so that he could repair cabinetry in the Luhrmann family's basement. Although Taft turned the gas off at the tank and notified the general contractor of his actions, he left the cut line unsealed, leading to a fatal explosion after the Luhrmann's turned the gas back on to use a gas dryer. The Luhrmann's eight-year-old daughter Aemilia was killed as a result of the explosion.

Taft's defense attorney, Andrew Crotupi, argued that conduct of this nature is not normally tried as criminal, as it was simply a mistake. The prosecution in the case claims that Taft violated the National Gas Code developed by the National Fire Protection Association by failing to directly notify all users and negligently leaving the disconnected gas system unsafe, by not capping the cut end of the line. The defense argued that the law did not apply to Taft because he was not installing, maintaining, operating, or repairing a gas system. Judge James Patten has not yet made a ruling.

The Luhrmann family has filed a civil lawsuit against the general contractor, the propane supplier and Taft, and the family is seeking $68 million in damages.

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