Firefighters' case demands justice

The Kansas City Star July 14, 2011

It has been three years since the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into a controversial prosecution that resulted in life prison sentences for five Kansas Citians after an explosion that killed six firefighters.

That's an unreasonably long time to complete a report. The defendants, one of whom has died in prison, were convicted in 1997 of causing the tragedy in 1988. Questions about evidence and an investigator's tactics have left lingering suspicions that the defendants were wrongfully found guilty.

Those questions must be put to rest. Former U.S. attorney John F. Wood did the right thing in 2008 by seeking a Justice Department review after reports in The Kansas City Star raised disturbing questions about the integrity of the government's witnesses. But the lengthy process since then has led to worries that the investigation hasn't been a high priority for the agency.

A Justice Department spokeswoman in Washington said this week that the investigative report was recently completed and is "in the final stages of review."

That's progress -- unless the final stage is as long-winded as the work up until now. It shouldn't be. The 1988 explosion left deep scars in the earth and in the city's psyche. The healing will never be complete as long as questions remain about who should be held responsible.