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Filmmaker says he found new evidence in 1988 blast that killed six KC firefighters

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WEBVTT LARA A DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKER SAYS HE HAS FOUND NEW EVIDENCE IN THE 1988 KANSAS CITY MISSOURI FIREFIGHTERS EXPLOSION. KRIS: 6 FIREFIGHTERS DIED 30-YEARS AGO TOMORROW AND THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CASE EVER SINCE. KMBC 9’S MICHEAL MAHONEY HA MORE. MICHAEL: THE HUGE BLASTS OF AMMONIUM NITRATE HAPPENED BEFORE DAWN AT A CONSTRUCTION SITE NEAR HWY 71 AND 87TH STREET. THEY CALLED IT ARSON. FIREIGHTERS THOMAS FRY, GERALD HALLORAN, LUTHER HURD, JAMES KILVENTION, JR. ROBERT MCKARNI AND MICHEAL OLDHMAN DIED ANSWERING THE CALL A FILMMAKER SAYS NEW EVIDENCE POINTS TO A 2ND, SEPARATE FIRE IN THE PICK-UP TRUCK OF TWO SECURITY GUARDS THERE THAT MORNING. HE SAYS THERE’S COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL ON THE TRUCK’S SEAT, WITH DIFFERENT BURN PATTERNS THAN THE REST OF THE TRUCK. >> SO IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEON TRIED TO GET RID OF THES MATERIALS IN A SEPARATE FIRE EVENT, AND DISQUISE THEM IN THE PICK-UP TRUCK FIRE REMAINS. MICHAEL: O’CONOR SAYS IT MAKES NO SENSE FOR THE FIVE CONVICTED DEFENDANTS TO SET A 2ND SEPARATE FIRE. >> OH I THINK IT HAUNTS US ALL MICHAEL: ATTORNEY JOHN OSGOOD WAS A DEFENSE LAWYER ON THE THAT CASE. >> VERY FEW OF THE CASES I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN WHERE I AM CONVINCED MY CLIENT WAS NOT GUILTY. >> THERE IS NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OR ANY EYEWITNESS THAT TIED THESE DEFENDANTS TO THE CRIM SCENE THAT MORNING. MICHAEL: PROSECUTORS STAND BY THE CASE. SOME MEMBERS OF THE FIREFIGHTER FAMILIES HAVE QUESTIONS, OTHERS BELIVE JUSTICE WAS SERVED. OF THE FIVE DEFENDANTS, ONE DIED IN PRISON. THREE OTHERS ARE STILL SERVI LIFE SENTENCES. BRYAN SHEPPARD, HOWEVER, WAS RELEASED LAST YEAR, BECAUSE OF A SENTENCING ERROR. 30 YEARS LATER, THERE ARE STILL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION INTO T FIREFIGHTERS EXPLOSION. MICHEAL MAHONEY, KMBC 9 NEWS KRIS: BRYAN SHEPPHARD SAYS TOMORROW SHOULD BE ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. O’CO

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A documentary filmmaker says he has found new evidence in the 1988 explosion that claimed the lives of six Kansas City, Missouri, firefighters. That incident happened 30 years ago -- Nov. 29, 1988. Since then, questions have remained. The huge blast of ammonium nitrate happened before dawn at a construction site near 71 Highway and 87th Street.The cause of the blast was ruled arson. Firefighters Thomas Fry, Gerald Halloran, Luther Hurd, James Kilventon Jr., Robert McKarnin and Micheal Oldham died answering the call. Filmmaker Joe O'Connor says new evidence points to a second, separate fire in the pickup truck of two security guards there that morning.O'Connor says there was combustible material on the truck's seat with different burn patterns than the rest of the truck."So it looks like someone tried to get rid of these materials in a separate fire event, and disguise them in the pickup truck fire remains," O'Connor said. He also says it makes no sense for the five convicted defendants to have set a second, separate fire."Oh, I think it haunts us all," said attorney John Osgood.Osgood was a defense attorney on that case."Very few of the cases I have participated in where I am convinced my client was not guilty," Osgood said."There is no physical evidence or any eyewitness that tied these defendants to the crime scene that morning," O'Connor said.Prosecutors stand by the case.Some members of the firefighters' families still have questions. Others believe justice was served.Of the five defendants, one died in prison, three are still serving life sentences, and the fifth, Bryan Sheppard, was released last year because of a sentencing error.