(WXYZ) — Four people charged in connection with a fatal hyperbaric chamber explosion that killed a 5-year-old boy will stand trial.
Judge Maureen McGinnis ruled Tuesday that there was enough evidence for the suspects to go to trial.
The tragedy happened on Jan. 31, 2025, while Thomas Cooper was undergoing treatment at The Oxford Center in Troy. He was inside a hyperbaric chamber when it caught fire from the inside and exploded.
Previous coverage: Former employee testifies about safety concerns at Oxford Center years before boy's hyperbaric chamber death
The Oxford Center Owner Tamela Peterson, safety director Jeffrey Mosteller and manager Gary Marken are each charged with count of second-degree murder, a potential life offense, or alternatively, one count of involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony.
Aleta Moffitt, the operator of the hyperbaric chamber, is being charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of medical records – intentionally placing false information on chart.
"She was the person who put Thomas into that chamber, she was the person who gave him that towel from the dryer, she is the person who did not use a grounding strap and she is the person who did not check to see if he was grounded prior to his treatment," prosecutors said during the preliminary hearing, which spanned several days.
During closing arguments, all four defense attorneys said there was not enough evidence of the cause of the fire to move forward, recalling testimony from a deputy chief with Troy police.
Previous coverage: 5-year-old boy killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion loved running, swimming
"So you can't at this point, as you're sitting there in that witness chair right now, you can't rule out as a potential cause to some extent of the fire, right? Specifically? No," defense attorneys said.
