Sep 19, 2007 1:08 pm US/Eastern
Band Manager In R.I. Nightclub Fire Seeks Parole
CRANSTON, R.I. (AP) ―
Daniel Biechele went to prison last year after tearfully apologizing for setting off the pyrotechnics display that sparked a nightclub fire that took 100 people's lives and injured twice that many.
After serving about a third of his four-year sentence, Biechele, a former rock band tour manager, was scheduled to go before the parole board Wednesday to ask for an early release. The board considers factors such as the inmate's remorse, risk of reoffending and plans for life after prison. It planned to announce its decision in the afternoon.
The fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick on Feb. 20, 2003, began when pyrotechnics for the band Great White ignited flammable soundproofing foam around the stage. It was the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history.
Biechele pleaded guilty last year to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. He admitted lighting the devices without the required permit and apologized at his sentencing, saying he never intended for anyone to be harmed and wasn't sure he could ever forgive himself.
Victims' relatives have been mixed on Biechele's parole bid. At a hearing earlier this month, several family members praised Biechele for being the first person to accept responsibility for the fire and said he was just one of many individuals to blame.
But others said it would be an injustice for him to be released after just 16 months.
Biechele has avoided any disciplinary problems in prison and has worked as a bookkeeper for a nonprofit agency.
Two other men, brothers Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, also were convicted of 100 involuntary manslaughter for the fire, although they both pleaded no contest. Michael Derderian was sentenced in September 2006 to four years in prison and is not yet eligible for parole. Jeffrey Derderian was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and probation.
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