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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.

Explosion 4th and Santa Fe_frame_15058
(credit: CBS)

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.

Todd Perkins
Todd Perkins (credit: Denver Fire)

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."

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(credit: CBS)

The defense said he is a scapegoat, and there is no physical evidence directly linking him to the crime.

(© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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