Ghost Ship
The Ghost Ship Warehouse’s Master Tenant Pleads Guilty to 36 Counts of Manslaughter
The Master Tenant of the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland, where 36 people tragically died in a 2016 fire, has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges. As part of the plea deal, Derick Almena will be sentenced to serve nine years. Almena is currently serving time on house arrest after posting a $150K bond in May of last year because of COVID-19. Due to his time served in prison since 2017 and credit received for good behavior, prosecutors don’t foresee him returning to prison to serve out the remainder of his sentence. The victims’ families were notified last week that a plea deal was on the table, and the revelation has drawn reactions of shock and disappointment. “My heart dropped, especially when I heard it was going to be a slap on the wrist,”...
‘Ghost Ship’ Organizer Pleads Guilty in Warehouse Fire That Killed 36 People
Thompson scheduled sentencing for March 8, when she will determine whether he will pay restitution, continue to be monitored electronically at his home in rural Northern California and be subject to supervised probation. Families of the victims will be allowed to give victim impact statements at that time. Prosecutors say Almena was criminally negligent when he illegally converted the industrial Oakland warehouse into a residence and event space for artists dubbed the “Ghost Ship,” stuffing the two-story building with flammable materials and extension cords. It had no smoke detectors or sprinklers. The Dec. 2, 2016, fire broke out at the warehouse during an electronic music and dance party, moving so quickly that victims were trapped on the illegally constructed second floor. Prosecutors s...
Ghost Ship Fire Main Tenant Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter
Derick Almena, the main tenant of the Oakland, California dilapidated warehouse known as the Ghost Ship, which served as an art collective and where he’d rent out space to artists, pleaded guilty to 36 charges of involuntary manslaughter on Friday, KTVU reports. The guilty plea means that Almena will avoid a second criminal trial related to the December 2016 fire that killed 36 in one of the deadliest club fires in American history. As part of the plea agreement, Almena will face between 9 and 12 years in jail. He already has served two years. The previous criminal case against Almena resulted in a mistrial last October. Almena’s co-defendant Max Harris was acquitted of all charges. Both men faced 36 charges of involuntary manslaughter and a maximum of 39 years in ...
City of Oakland Settles Ghost Ship Fire Civil Suit for Nearly $33 Million
The City of Oakland announced in a release that it has settled with the families of the 2016 Ghost Ship fire that left 36 people dead. The suit was brought on behalf of 32 of the 36 families of the people who died in the fire. Of the $32.7 million that will be paid out, $9.2 will go to plaintiff and Ghost Ship fire survivor Sam Maxwell, who is battling severe lifelong injuries and major medical expenses. The settlement brings to a close the civil suit, and the city continues to assert, per the settlement, that it is not liable for the loss of life. Instead, the release says, the city settled the case because of the cost-benefit analysis. A retrial in the criminal case against Ghost Ship master tenant Derick Almena is set to resume in October. Previously, the criminal case against Alme...
Strong Opening Aside, Ghost Ship Struggles to Stay Afloat
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher “Congratulations. You found a boat. In the middle of the ocean, of all places.” The Horror Virgin Salvage Crew got a tip from a mysterious stranger about a missing ocean liner and we’re on our way to check it out. Meet us on the dance floor as we geek out over tugboats and try to figure out the plot of Ghost Ship. Together, we tackle important questions like: Does Ghost Ship have one of the best opening scenes in horror history? Is it a stealth Fast and the Furious spin-off? Does it count as cheating if it’s with a ghost? What are all these great actors doing on this boat? And most important, what the hell is going on? “Sea gives you an opportunity, you take it.” Follow us on Facebook ...
