Background: News footage of the home in Troy, Ill., that exploded on April 5 (KSDK). Insets (left to right): Kenneth Cissell, Roberta Cissell, and Colton Cissell (Madison County Sheriff”s Office).
An explosion that took place at an Illinois home, killing three people, has resulted in criminal charges.
The Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office announced on Saturday that 48-year-old Kenneth Cissell, 43-year-old Roberta Cissell, and 22-year-old Colton Cissell were all criminally charged in connection with an explosion that destroyed their home in Troy, Illinois, on April 5 and killed three people. One of those fatalities was Roberta Cissell’s daughter.
Prosecutors said Kenneth Cissell and Roberta Cissell, Colton Cissell’s father and stepmother, knew he had explosive material in the house at the time of the explosion.
Kenneth Cissell and Roberta Cissell were both charged with endangering the life or health of a child. They were booked into the Madison County Jail and released on Saturday.
Colton Cissell faces more serious charges — three counts of involuntary manslaughter, endangering the life or health of a child, possession of explosives, and possession of explosive material without a license. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said that on April 5, deputies responded to calls about a house fire at the home being rented by the Cissells. According to court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate KSDK, Kenneth Cissell and Roberta Cissell were able to escape the fire that followed the explosion. Colton Cissell suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was airlifted to the hospital.
Three people inside the house were pronounced dead — 19-year-old Ayden Hendrickson, 19-year-old Madeleine Cissell, and 12-year-old Paisley Nishwitz. The Belleville News-Democrat, a local news outlet, reported that Madeleine Cissell, who has also been identified as Madeleine Maxeiner, was Roberta Cissell’s daughter. Hendrickson was her boyfriend. Paisley was under the short-term guardianship of Kenneth Cissell at the time of her death, the Belleville News-Democrat reported. KSDK reported that authorities believed the three victims were sleeping at the time of the explosion.
Police spoke to Kenneth Cissell and Roberta Cissell, who said that they were aware of Colton Cissell making bombs in the home with Tannerite. The parents told police that their son was involved with a fireworks club. Colton Cissell was interviewed by police while he was hospitalized, and police said he admitted to using a laser cutter near the explosives.
The sheriff’s office accused Kenneth Cissell and Roberta Cissell of knowingly allowing Colton Cissell to have illegal explosives in the house.
According to the Belleville News-Democrat, Madeleine’s father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Cissells and the owner of the property that the Cissells were renting.
Court dates for the Cissells were not publicly available.
