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A Loudoun County, Virginia, jury has found former propane service technician Roger Bentley guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the February 2024 home explosion that killed volunteer firefighter Trevor Brown.
Bentley was working for Southern States Cooperative when he traveled to the home on Silver Ridge Drive in Sterling. Another technician had smelled propane while partially filling the underground propane tank used to heat a pool.
Prosecutors told jurors in closing arguments that Bentley’s “actions and failures to act” caused the Feb. 16, 2024, explosion that killed Brown and injured 14 others.
According to Loudoun County prosecutors, Bentley was legally required to mitigate 125 gallons of propane that was leaking. Prosecutors also argued that Bentley told the homeowner, Kelley Woods, that any propane she smelled wasn’t an emergency, that she shouldn’t contact the fire department and that he would handle the situation the following week.
The defense had told jurors that Bentley didn’t know there was a propane leak, despite taking measurements in the area. According to the defense, Woods never told Bentley about the leak.
“The only one who knew her tank was leaking was Kelley Woods, but she didn’t tell a single person on the 16th that there was a leak,” defense attorney Kelly King said during closing arguments Wednesday, adding that another technician informed the homeowner in 2021 that the tank was unsafe and needed to be replaced.
The defense reminded jurors to base their decision on facts, not emotion, saying the prosecution had failed to provide “a shred of evidence” that Bentley was aware of the tank leak. King said prosecutors needed someone to blame.
“Roger Bentley, a blue collar guy, is the fall guy.”
Bentley was indicted on the felony charge of involuntary manslaughter and three misdemeanor violations of the fire prevention code in the blast that killed Brown, a member of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. Bentley was released on bond before trial.
The jury reached its decision Monday afternoon after several days of deliberation. Bentley was also convicted on the three misdemeanor fire code violations. He faces a maximum penalty of 13 years in prison and is scheduled for sentencing Nov. 6.
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