Equipment Operator Pleads Guilty In Philly Building Collapse

The man operating an excavator when a building collapsed in 2013 in Philadelphia, killing six, has pleaded guilty, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

Sean Benschop, 44, has pleaded guilty to six counts of involuntary manslaughter and other charges related to the June 5, 2013, collapse of the Market St. Salvation Army Building. The non-negotiated plea could bring a sentence of up to10 to 20 years in prison, the District Attorney’s office said.

The plea also includes charges of aggravated assault, conspiracy, causing a catastrophe and 12 counts of reckless endangerment, the District Attorney’s office said.

“Most of us can recall the tragic image of a free-standing, unbraced wall coming down on the Salvation Army building; a building that was open for business with employees and customers inside,” said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. “The death of six people and the injury of twelve others was nothing short of heartbreaking and I continue to offer my condolences and prayers for the survivors and families whose lives were forever altered on June 5, 2013.

Williams said the guilty plea is a “substantial step in our work to fully prosecute this case.”

Benschop will be sentenced after the trial of his co-defendant, contractor Griffin Cambpell, on September 21.

Benschop was the operator of an excavator that was being used to demolish a building next to the Salvation Army building when it collapsed onto the property which was located at 2140 Market St. in Philadelphia, killing patrons and employees.

The victims include:

• Anne Bryan, 24, of Narberth, daughter of Philadelphia City Treasurer Nancy Walker.
• Mary Simpson, 24, a 2007 graduate of Haverford High School and audio engineer, who was shopping with her friend, Anne Bryan.
• Kimberly Finnegan, 35, a 1996 graduate of William Tennent High School in Warminster who had just started her first shift as a cashier for the store.
• Roseline Conteh, 52, an immigrant from Sierra Leone and mother of nine.
• Bobor Davis, 68, an employee of the store.
• Juanita Harmin, 75, a retired secretary at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.