Contractor convicted for 2013 Philadelphia building collapse

PHILADELPHIA -- A jury has found demolition contractor Griffin Campbell guilty on six counts of involuntary manslaughter in the 2013 Center City building collapse in Philadelphia, CBS Philadelphia reports.

CBS Philadelphia investigative reporter Walt Hunter tweeted the verdict:

The jury also found Campbell guilty on 12 counts of recklessly endangering another person for the 12 surviving victims, Hunter tweeted.

A free-standing three story wall collapsed on the Salvation Army thrift store killing six people and injuring 13 others.

Griffin was found not guilty on the more serious third degree murder charges. If he was found guilty of more than one count of third degree murder he would have been given a life prison term.

The two week trial included associates of Campbell who testified they told him about the shaky wall before the collapse.

The defense had claimed Campbell deferred to who he called the architect of the disaster, the architect on scene, Plato Marinakos.

The Assistant District Attorney told jurors that Campbell had pulled "the guts and spine" of the building, destabilizing it by taking out the floors, joists and cutting corners, which led to the collapse.

Campbell has been convicted of the same charges that the only other person charged in the case, who did not go to trial, heavy equipment operator Sean Benschop. He agreed to the charges in a plea arrangement.

Benschop pleaded guilty and faces 10 to 20 years in prison.