KETTERING — Almost four months after a house exploded in Kettering, killing 58-year-old woman, all evidence has been collected and the site has been turned over to the victim’s family.
The house explosion happened on Dec. 5 on North Claridge Drive, killing Darlene Baumgardner. The home was leveled, and a fence was placed around the site warning people to keep out.
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On Tuesday, two trailers of evidence, including water heaters, a furnace and gas piping, were removed from the scene.
“I think it’s just been four months,” said neighbor Kyle Moore. “We want to know what happened so we can move on.”
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At the time of the explosion, fire officials said they believed the explosion and subsequent fire appeared to be related to a natural gas leak.
Baumgardner was found in critical condition in a neighbor’s yard when crews arrived on scene. She died of multiple blunt-force truama and thermal injuries a short time later, according to the coroner’s office.
Managers at Fire and Explosion Consultants, which sponsored the search for evidence on the site, said they have now turned the site back over to the family of the victim.
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