These are the 84 people, one by one, PG&E pleaded guilty to killing in the 2018 Camp Fire

As PG&E’s lawyers and CEO Bill Johnson listened, Butte Superior Court Judge Michael Deems read the indictments one at a time. And for each name, Johnson took responsibility on behalf of the embattled utility to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deadliest wildfire in California history.

The names of 84 people, most of whom were elderly, homebound and frail, were read aloud Monday in a Chico courtroom, with each victim’s photograph projected just out of view of the camera — the hearing was closed to the public because of coronavirus. The 38-minute hearing was streamed live, albeit in a grainy wide-shot that belied the moment’s significance.

Still, Johnson stood before the court and looked toward the screen as the incalculable toll of victims was delivered. For each name, Johnson responded with “guilty, your honor.”

The catechism was part of its structured plea deal, as PG&E approaches the end of a complicated bankruptcy case that the company used to work out $25.5 billion in settlements to pay for the damages. Nonetheless, the hearing was designed to be dramatic — as the court publicly shamed the nation’s largest utility for neglecting its infrastructure.

“We want this to be impactful because this can’t go on any longer,” Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey told the Associated Press. “There is going to have to be a sea change in PG&E’s method of operation.”

These are the names of the 84 people, in order of being read by the judge, that PG&E accepted responsibility for killing.

1. Joyce Acheson, 78, Paradise
2. Herbert Alderman, 79, Paradise
3. Teresa Ammans, 82, Paradise
4. Rafaela Andrade, 84, Paradise
5. Carol Arrington, 88, Paradise
6. Julian Binstock, 88, Paradise
7. David Bradburd, 70, Paradise
8. Richard Brown, 74, Concow
9. Larry Brown, 72, Paradise
10. Cheryl Brown, 75, Paradise
11. Andrew Burt, 36, Paradise
12. Joanne Caddy, 75, Magalia
13. Barbara Carlson, 72, Paradise
14. Vincent Carota, 65, Paradise
15. Dennis Clark, 49, Paradise
    
    
16. Evelyn Cline, 81, Paradise
17. John Digby, 78, Paradise
18. Gordon Dise, 66, Chico
19. Paula Dodge, 70, Paradise
20. Randall Dodge, 67, Paradise
21. Andrew Downer, 54, Paradise
22. Robert Duvall, 76, Paradise
23. Paul Ernest, 72, Paradise
24. Rose Farrell, 99, Paradise
25. Jesus Fernandez, 48, Concow
26. Jean Forsman, 83, Magalia
27. Ernest Foss Jr., 63, Paradise
28. Elizabeth Gaal, 80, Paradise
29. Sally Gamboa, 69, Paradise
30. James Garner, 63, Magalia
31. Richard Jay Garrett, 58, Concow
32. William Godbout, 79, Concow
33. Shirley Haley, 67, Paradise
34. Dennis Hanko, 56, Paradise
35. Anna Hastings, 67, Magalia
36. Jennifer Hayes, 53, Paradise
37. Christina Heffern, 40, Paradise
38. Matilde Heffern, 68, Paradise
39. Ishka Heffern, 20, Paradise
40. Lou Herrera, 86, Paradise
41. Evva Holt, 85, Paradise
42. TK Huff, 71, Concow
43. Gary Hunter, 67, Magalia
44. James Kinner, 84, Paradise
45. Dorothy Lee Herrera, 93, Paradise
46. Warren Lessard, 68, Magalia
47. Dorothy Mack, 88, Paradise
48. Sara Magnuson, 75, Paradise
49. John Malarkey, 89, Paradise
50. Joanne Malarkey, 90, Paradise
51. Chris Maltby, 69, Paradise
52. David Marbury, 66, Paradise
53. Deborah Morningstar, 66, Paradise
    
    
54. Helen Pace, 84, Paradise
55. Joy Porter, 72, Paradise
    
    
56. Beverly Powers, 64, Paradise
57. Robert Quinn, 74, Paradise
58. Joseph Rabetoy, 39, Paradise
59. Forrest Rea, 89, Paradise
60. Vernice Regan, 95, Paradise
61. Ethel Riggs, 96, Paradise
62. Lolene Rios, 56, Paradise
63. Gerald Rodrigues, 74, Paradise
64. Frederick Salazar, 76, Paradise
65. Phyllis Salazar, 72, Paradise
66. Sheila Santos, 64, Paradise
67. Ronald Schenk, 75, Paradise
68. Berniece Schmidt, 93, Magalia
69. John Sedwick, 82, Magalia
70. Don Shores, 70, Magalia
71. Kathy Shores, 65, Magalia
72. Judith Sipher, 68, Paradise
73. Larry Smith, 80, Paradise
74. Russel Stewart, 63, Paradise
75. Victoria Taft, 67, Paradise
76. Shirlee Teays, 90, Paradise
77. Joan Tracy, 80, Paradise
78. A man, only identified as John in the indictment
79. Ellen Walker, 72, Concow
80. Donna Ware, 86, Paradise
81. Isabel Webb, 68, Paradise
82. Marie Wehe, 78, Concow
83. Kimberly Wehr, 53, Paradise
84. David Young, 69, Concow

The fire killed 85 people, but prosecutors weren’t certain they could prove PG&E was responsible for the death Carl Wiley, 77, of Magalia. In addition, PG&E accepted responsibility for one count of unlawfully causing the fire.

The judge will formally sentence PG&E on Thursday or Friday, according to Ramsey, after victims’ families are given the ability to testify.

PG&E has agreed to pay a maximum fine of $3.5 million for its crimes in addition to $500,000 for the cost of the investigation. The San Francisco company won’t be placed on criminal probation, unlike what happened after its natural gas lines blew up a neighborhood in San Bruno, killing eight people in 2010. That tragedy resulted in a criminal conviction that put San Francisco on a five-year probation that ends in January 2022.

This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 2:00 PM with the headline "These are the 84 people, one by one, PG&E pleaded guilty to killing in the 2018 Camp Fire."

Daniel Hunt

The Sacramento Bee

916-321-1084

Daniel Hunt is the local accountability and breaking news editor for The Sacramento Bee; he joined the newspaper in 2013.