Ex-owners held liable in Mo. fire that killed 11

(01-18) 18:11 PST Neosho, Mo. (AP) --

The former owners of a southwest Missouri group home for the mentally disabled have been found liable for a 2006 fire that killed 11 people.

A judge on Tuesday concluded the blaze at the Anderson Guest House was foreseeable and preventable.

Investigators found the fire resulted from faulty wiring. No criminal charges over the blaze itself were filed against the owners, Robert and Laverne DuPont and their Joplin River of Life Ministries.

But The Joplin Globe reports that Tuesday's ruling in the civil lawsuit clears the way for payment of $6.4 million in damages to victims and their families

Robert DuPont says he plans to appeal.

The DuPonts are also seeking new trials for federal convictions of fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

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The Joplin Globe, www.joplinglobe.com