Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire (59 page)

132
Less than a year after gluing the bargain PU foam
WHDH Channel 7 “Burning Beds” video, AG’s First Disclosure, 03–582-PR.

132
The question of whether fire-retardant PU foam
NIST Report, pt. 1, at sec. 4.5.2–4, pp. 4–17 to 4–25.

133
In the building’s basement, under tons of rubble
Witness statement of Roland Coutu, “David Stone Identification of Foam,” March 28, 2003.

20.
THE MISSING

134
Be absolutely certain
Attorney General’s Fourth Disclosure, EMA Information–Family Resource Material.

134
At daybreak, 211 Cowesett Avenue
Jennifer Levitz and Zachary R. Mider, “A Special Report—the Station Nightclub Disaster—Blaze, Smoke Engulf Victims within Seconds,”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003.

135–36
In any disaster
Titan Report, pp. C-1, 2, 12.

135
Donna Miele, Michael Hoogasian’s sister
Tom Mooney, Linda Borg, and Amanda Milkovits, “With Photos in Hand, Families Hold Out Hope,”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003.

135
For most, it was the Crowne Plaza Hotel
Cathleen F. Crowley, “Shattered Relatives Wait for News,”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003.

135–36
At 5 o’clock on the morning after the fire
Titan Report, pp. C-14, D-9, F-10–11.

136
Early on, Rhode Island’s governor
Thomas Farragher, “Tragedy in Rhode Island—the Aftermath,”
Boston Globe
, February 23, 2003.

136
In order to keep reporters
Titan Report, p. F-11.

136–37
Jason Kinan and his family
Crowley, “Shattered Relatives.”

137
Volunteers and professionals
Titan Report, p. F-14; Mark Arsenault, “The Station Nightclub Disaster—More Victims Identified as Distraught Families Learn of Their Loss,”
Providence Journal
, February 24, 2000.

137
At various times
Crowley, “Shattered Relatives.”

137
One newspaper reporter
Meaghan Wims, “Rhode Islanders Steel Themselves for the List of Dead,”
Providence Journal
, February 24, 2000.

137
National news organizations
Whitney Casey, in discussion with the author, June 17, 2008.

138
Even though The Station
Arsenault, “Station Nightclub Disaster”; Titan Report, p. F-13.

138–39
Many relatives simply could not
Mooney, Borg, and Milkovits, “With Photos in Hand.”

139
Hospitals faced difficult decisions
G. Wayne Miller, “Most Severe Victims Treated at Mass. General,”
Providence Journal
, February 22, 2003.

139
Hospitals did their utmost
Michael Corkery, “An Agonizing Hospital Vigil for Family of One Woman,”
Providence Journal
, February 24, 2003.

139
Given the confusion
Titan Report, p. F-14.

139–40
Identification of the dead
Titan Report, pp. E-82–85.

140
In one unanticipated way
Grand jury testimony of Elizabeth Laposata, July 14, 2003, pp. 57–91.

140
As significant as what was
on Ibid., pp. 92, lines 9–13.

140
One young victim’s
Ibid., p. 84, lines 12–13.

21.
ARTIFACTS OF TRAGEDY

141
Clad in Tyvek suits, surgical masks
Richard A. Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
(Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2007), fig. 3.1, p. 55.

141
And, following strict protocol
Ibid., p. 19; Richard A. Gould, “Report to Irving Owens, Rhode Island State Fire Marshal,” March 28, 2003 (hereafter, Gould Report), p. 3.

141
Newspaper and web accounts
Gould Report, p. 3.

141
Forensic archaeology is a relatively young discipline
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, chap. 1 (“What Is Disaster Archaeology?”), 7–35.

142
If Sean Connery had been unavailable to play
Richard A. Gould, in discussion with the author, May 19, 2009 (hereafter, Gould Interview).

142
Three weeks after the fall of the twin towers
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 21–35.

142–43
With official permission, Gould returned to Manhattan
Ibid., 36–49.

143
Indeed, when the victim identification process
Ibid., 46.

143
Less than a year after FAR’s trial excavation
Ibid., 52–53; Gould Report, p. 1.

143
Owens took the Station tragedy very personally
Gould Interview; Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 65.

143
Two particular challenges to this “dig”
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 58; Gould Report, p. 2.

143–44
The FAR team arrived on the morning of February 27
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 54; Gould Report, pp. 1, 3.

144
Rather than separate the area into permanent grids
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 54; Gould Report, p. 4.

144
The team had originally intended to wet-sieve
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 58; Gould Report, p. 3.

144
All artifacts, biological and otherwise, were bagged
Gould Report, p. 3.

144
On any given day, an average of nine to thirteen volunteers
Ibid.

144
Viewers, including bandaged survivors and grieving families
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 54.

144
Because of this constant observation, FAR’s protocol
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 19, 56; Gould Report, p. 3.

144
Professor Gould’s concern that firefighting, rescue
Gould Report, p. 6.

145
When an object is believed to lie
Ibid., pp. 5–6.

145
Not surprisingly, the areas of the club
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 65; Gould Report, pp. 5–7.

145
where fire temperatures had exceeded 1,800 degrees
NIST Report, 5–47.

145
FAR’s resident forensic anthropologist, Gabriel Flores
Gould Report, p. 5.

145
Among confusing finds were
Handwritten field notes of FAR team, March 1, 2003.

145
The area between the stage and the ticket counter
Gould Report, p. 9.

145–46
One personal item, a cell phone, was particularly troubling
Linda Borg, “Brown Archaeologist Finds Deeper Meaning in Makeshift Memorials,”
Providence Journal
, February 20, 2004.

146
One family made a special request of the medical examiner’s office
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 65; Gould Report, p. 7.

146
Some areas proved harder to search than others
Gould Report, p. 6.

146
The storeroom where ten bodies were found
Ibid., p. 7; NIST Report, fig. 6–14.

146
two fire extinguishers found by the FAR team
Gould Report, p. 7.

146
The team was asked by the fire marshal to look for any nine-volt batteries
Ibid.

146
340 buckets of fill
Ibid., p. 9.

146
eighty-eight discrete personal effects of victims and fifty-four biological specimens
Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 85; Gould Report, p. 9.

146
They used the full panoply of archaeological tools
Gould Report, p. 4.

146
FAR kept an EMT-certified safety officer
Ibid., p. 2.

146
Team members were not permitted to excavate or sieve alone
Ibid.

146
Fortunately, there was a propane-heated tent
Ibid.

146–47
By the eighth day of work, however
Ibid., p. 7.

147
Brown student Zach Woodford stood shivering
Ibid.; Gould,
Disaster Archaeology
, 65.

22.
CIRCLING THE WAGONS

148
We had permission to use
Witness statement of Cara DelSesto, May 5, 2003.

148
At no time did I
Witness statement of Jeffrey Derderian (written statement), February 20, 2003, line 8.

148
Our inspector missed nothing
Douglas Belkin, “Inspector’s Actions Are Scrutinized,”
Boston Globe
, February 27, 2003.

148
Our officials were doing
Letter from Wolfgang Bauer to Governor Donald Carcieri et al., March 19, 2003, quoted by Tom Mooney in “The Station Nightclub Disaster—Town’s Bid for Aid with Fire Lawsuits Gets Little Support,”
Providence Journal
, August 1, 2003.

148
For this reason, court rules
Federal Rule of Evidence 803(2).

149
Dan Biechele and Jack Russell said
Witness statement of Dan Biechele, February 20, 2003; witness statement of Cara DelSesto.

149
the Derderians, emphatically, “No.”
Witness statement of Jeffrey Derderian, February 20, 2003.

149
One of the facts supporting
Tour Advance Sheet for Great White appearance at The Station, February 20, 2003; Mark Arsenault, Paul Edward Parker, and Tom Mooney, “Extra: The Station Fire—Filling in Some Blanks,”
Providence Journal
, November 9, 2007.

149
Additionally, in earlier venues
Witness statement of Daniel Biechele, p. 13; Witness statement of Terry Barr, February 21, 2003, pp. 1–2.

149
Even more telling were arrangements
Witness statement of John Lynch, February 28, 2003, pp. 6–7, 15; confirmed by witness of statement of Jeffrey Franklin, March 5, 2003.

149
Five hours after the fire … White asked Derderian
Narrative for Detective George E. Winman, West Warwick Police Department, February 21, 2003, pp. 2–3.

149
Unknown to Derderian
Transcript of interview of Daniel Biechele, March 3, 2003 (witness statement, p. 85; transcript p. 70). Biechele first showed Russell how pyrotechnic gerbs worked after a concert in San Diego in either December 2002 or January 2003.

149–50
No matter that W.A.S.P
. Biechele interview, March 3, 2003 (as to W.A.S.P.); witness statement of John Mellini, February 23, 2003 (as to Holy Diver); grand jury testimony of Rev Tyler, April 16, 2003 (as to Lovin’ Kry); witness statement of Clifford Koehler, February 25, 2003 (as to Lovin’ Kry, Hotter Than Hell, W.A.S.P. and Human Clay); witness statement of Frank Davidson, February 22, 2003 (as to Human Clay); witness statements of Robert Conti and Nathan Conti, February 27, 2003 (as to Dirty Deeds); grand jury testimony of Edward Ducharme, April 29, 2003 (as to 10/31).