Published on August 27, 2021
GREELEY, Colo. (Weld County D.A.) – A Greeley man will spend the next two decades in prison for causing a deadly explosion at a Greeley apartment in March.
In June, 29-year-old Matthew Fry pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault, for causing an explosion that killed a woman and severely burned another female and male.
Fry is accused of extracting hash oil with butane from marijuana when the explosion occurred at the apartment complex in the 1300 block of 9
“He knew the risks, yet he did it anyway,” Deputy District Attorney Patrick Costigan said during Wednesday’s sentencing hearing. “It’s an absolute tragedy that someone lost their life because of this reckless behavior. The other two victims who were severely injured will never be the same. Their lives are changed forever.”
Judge Vincente Vigil sentenced Fry Wednesday afternoon to 22 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
“This was just a horribly tragic event,” Judge Vigil said. “This was so stupid and so reckless that it now caused horrible consequences. This case is exactly the reason why this is an illegal act.”
Deputy District Attorney Costigan told the court he believes it’s a miracle that no one else was killed that day because of the magnitude of the explosion.
“There needs to be a very clear message to this community that if you kill people, you’re going to have consequences,” DDA Costigan said.