A grand jury decided not to indict anyone on criminal charges related to the New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel construction collapse in 2019 that left three people dead and 30 others injured, prosecutors said Thursday.
The investigation into the fatal collapse began in 2021, and the case was presented to the grand jury over several months to determine whether criminal charges could be filed in the case, according to a statement from the Orleans Parish district attorney's office. On Thursday, District Attorney Jason Williams said the jury did not come across enough evidence to meet the threshold for a criminal case.
"Unfortunately, criminal negligence carries a much higher burden than civil negligence, and upon deliberating, the jurors decided there simply wasn't enough certainty to proceed," Williams said in the statement.
Crews were working on building a new 350-room Hard Rock Hotel, just steps away from the city's historic French Quarter, when the building partially collapsed on October 12, 2019.
More than 100 construction workers were at the site when the structure partially crumbled, according to one of the construction companies. Video footage from the horrific scene showed workers emerging from a giant cloud of dust after the upper floors collapsed and debris filled the street.
The collapse was followed by days of search and rescue for victims in massive piles of debris, where some were trapped.
The three workers killed were 36-year-old Quinnyon Wimberly, 49-year-old Anthony Floyd Magrette and 63-year-old Jose Ponce Arreola, officials said. Recovery teams were unable to reach the remains of Arreola and Wimberly for months due to the instability of the collapsed structure.
The DA's office expressed frustration at the grand jury's decision, saying it was "a disheartening day."
"Our entire team at OPDA (Orleans Parish District Attorney) is frustrated with this outcome. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families as they continue their emotional healing journey," the office said in the statement.
The DA's office claims Occupational Safety and Health Administration specialists did not cooperate "to further" their efforts in presenting the case to the grand jury.
"While OSHA's specialists assessed the situation from an administrative enforcement angle, they didn't cooperate to further our efforts in presenting this case to the grand jury," the statement read. "They hindered our progress by withholding a crucial report for our review."
The DA said it seemed OSHA, a federal agency that investigates workplace violations among other work-related issues, prioritized civil negotiations over criminal investigations.
"Their refusal to disclose all evidence and reports at their disposal severely hampered our presentation," Williams said.
CNN has reached out to OSHA for comment.
