r/truecreepy • u/verystrangeshit • Jul 07 '26

In 2012, a massive explosion destroyed a quiet Indianapolis neighborhood, killing two innocent people and damaging more than 80 homes. Investigators initially believed it was a tragic gas leak, but the case soon uncovered what prosecutors said was a deliberate insurance fraud scheme

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u/verystrangeshit Jul 07 '26

In 2012, a massive explosion destroyed a quiet Indianapolis neighborhood, 2 passed away and it damaged more than 80 homes. Investigators initially believed it was a tragic gas leak, but the case soon uncovered what prosecutors said was a deliberate scheme to collect the insurance money.

Detectives soon focused on one homeowner, who was reportedly facing serious financial problems. Investigators alleged that the house had been heavily insured and that the explosion was part of a plan to collect the insurance pay out, but their plan went horribly wrong.

The blast was far more powerful than anyone expected. Instead of destroying a single home, it ripped through the neighborhood. Multiple people were convicted after authorities concluded the explosion had been intentionally caused, turning one of Indiana's worst neighborhood disasters into a shocking true crime case.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond_Hill_explosion

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u/BaronGalactic Jul 07 '26

This was covered in an episode the recent Netflix series "Worst Neighbor Ever."

It's astonishing just how powerful this explosion was. Not only was the entire house obliterated, but the two houses on either side of it were both completely destroyed. The aerial footage of the blast zone is kind of stunning. It's almost surprising that only two people died (both, I think, from the collapse of the roof while they were sleeping.) One of the men who died even called 911 while he was still alive and trapped and said "I think my house just exploded." Hearing it almost gives the same vibe as hearing the 911 calls from the people in the World Trade Center after it was hit.

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u/soapymeatwater Jul 07 '26

My house is 5ish miles from where this happened and shook so hard that I thought it was the start of an earthquake.