Columbia County and several fire and rescue employees have been named in a $15 million wrongful death lawsuit over the fatal fire at the Marshall Square retirement community last year. The suit was filed Thursday by Barbara Ellington, the last surviving daughter of Dorothy Carpenter, the lone resident who died in the fire.
Ellington’s lawsuit is the first to claim negligence by Columbia County as well as individual employees, including the county’s fire marshal Brian Clark, battalion chief Jimmie Paschal, special operations chief Danny Kuhlmann, Capt. Gary Griffith and Lt. Jamie Champion.
Other defendants named in the suit are the retirement community’s parent company, Resorts Lifestyle Communities Inc.; facility builder Cameron General Contractors Inc.; Goodman Co. LP; property manager Chris Bryde; and night concierge Zackery Freehof.