(WXYZ) — One of the four people charged in a hyperbaric chamber explosion that took the life of a little boy will learn his fate today. Jeffery Mosteller, the Safety Director of the Oxford Center, is being sentenced after he pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter earlier this year.
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5-year-old Thomas Cooper was killed when the chamber he was inside exploded in January of 2025. Prosecutors say that the staff ignored safety protocols.
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This is a big day for Cooper's family; it's been more than a year-and-a-half since the deadly explosion, and this morning, one of the four people charged in connection with his death will learn their fate in court.
Mosteller initially faced second-degree murder charges, along with three of his coworkers. This came after investigators noted that Mosteller failed to follow basic safety guidelines, allowing the use of an uncertified chamber at the center. They say it led to Cooper's death in 2025, when the chamber caught fire from the inside and exploded.
Last month, Mosteller plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter; he now faces between 19 months and 15 years in prison.
"The investigation revealed that employees were told to follow other concerning practices on the day that Thomas died, including providing warm blankets to the patients directly from the dryer in the chamber suite," said judge Maureen McGinnis with the Troy District Court, ruling back in January that there was enough evidence to send the employees to trial.
The other employees have not entered plea agreements, but Mosteller is set to appear in court this morning at 8:30 a.m.
