More charges filed in Boardwalk fire

A Lawrence man charged with killing three people in a fire at Boardwalk Apartments now faces additional charges related to injuries suffered by the fire’s survivors.

Prosecutors have filed eight counts of aggravated battery against Jason A. Rose, 20, on top of the three counts of murder and one count of aggravated arson he already faced. Evidence in the case is expected to be made public for the first time today, as Rose begins a preliminary hearing on the charges in Douglas County District Court.

The hearing is scheduled to last up to three days.

Neither Dist. Atty. Charles Branson nor Rose’s attorney, Ron Evans, could be reached Tuesday for comment.

The decision to file extra charges against Rose didn’t come as a surprise. At a hearing in December, Assistant Dist. Atty. Amy McGowan told Judge Jack Murphy, “there will be more charges coming prior to preliminary hearing,” but didn’t specify what they would be.

Aggravated battery, a felony, in this case means “recklessly causing great bodily harm” or disfigurement to another person.

Rose, who recently had moved out on his own after living in foster care, is charged with setting the Oct. 7 fire that destroyed a building at Boardwalk Apartments in the 500 block of Fireside Drive.

The fire killed KU student Nicole Bingham, electrician Jose Gonzalez and social worker Yolanda Riddle.