Families want answers from attorney general in nightclub fire
(AP) -- Mary Morin came to a private meeting with the state attorney general with photos of her 31-year-old son and two pieces of foam.
The photos remind her of what she lost that fateful night of Feb. 20, when a band�s pyrotechnics set ablaze foam that was on the walls at The Station nightclub, while the small squares of foam remind her of a key element of the tragedy that claimed 99 other lives and injured scores of other concertgoers.
Attorney General Patrick Lynch arranged to meet with survivors and relatives of fire victims Tuesday to discuss the developments into a grand jury investigation into the fire. Many were hoping to learn that criminal charges would be filed, and those responsible held accountable.
�I think it�s a very sad state of affairs. Everybody is trying to sweep this under the rug,� Morin said, accusing the state of taking too long in its investigation of the fire in West Warwick.
The grand jury, convened six days after the blaze, issued its report earlier Tuesday to a Superior Court judge. The report was sealed and the judge would not say if indictments were issued.
Morin was among several emotional family members that went to the meeting with Lynch to hear about the status of the state�s investigation, which started after a rock band�s pyrotechnics set ablaze foam that had been placed on the walls as soundproofing.
She placed two photos of her 31-year-old son, Ryan Morin, of the Allston section of Boston, on her black sweater, and carried the foam, that she says is similar to foam installed on the walls of the nightclub as soundproofing. Investigators believe that foam may have contributed to the fire�s rapid spread.
As she showed the foam�s thickness, Morin, of Thompson, Conn., said, �How can a profile like this be missed by the building inspector?�
Another survivor, Deborah LeMay, 29, of West Warwick, said she went to the meeting to highlight the plight of victimsďż˝ families and fire survivors. LeMay, a volunteer at The Station Family Fund, said the nonprofit relief organization needs more money to help those affected by the fire.
�Make this story about the 100 people who were lost,� she said. �Let�s remember those people, let�s remember our humanity.�
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