THIS IS AN APOLOGY. When the announcement was made that the grand-jury testimony would be released in the Station nightclub fire case, I said that nothing new would come out. I was sure that there would be no “smoking gun.” I was positive that Rhode Island Atty. Gen. Patrick Lynch, as clueless as he has shown himself to be, would redact any and all evidence of wrongdoing or manipulation on either his part or that of his staff.

But I was wrong.

The most recent release of the grand jury records answers many questions. Such questions as: How could this jury, after all the evidence it was given, possibly have indicted only two club owners and a roadie? How is it possible that this collection of good and honest people decided that no other persons should stand trial? Why couldn’t they see what everybody else could plainly see, almost immediately, after the fire?

The answer is simple. This grand jury was lied to and manipulated. This process was wrought with continued attempts to misdirect their focus to only three people. Although it is clear that these three had their part in this tragedy, they were merely the tip of this iceberg of loss and injustice.

The major thrust of this manipulation surrounds Fire Marshal Denis Larocque. This state fire inspector has given two equally implausible explanations of why he didn’t see or act on the illegal soundproofing. When speaking to the Rhode Island State Police, he said he just didn’t see it because he was so incensed about an exit door that had been “re-hung” against his orders. That this door was covered with the same soundproofing seems to have escaped his memory.

In front of the grand jury, however, he offered a different explanation. He testified that he was there to look for specific fire hazards. He called it a “4 E” inspection: extinguishers, emergency lighting, exit signs and egress. It was for this reason that he didn’t see or act on this dangerous foam.

This excuse was the most stunning. It is the equivalent of a police officer’s entering a home to search for stolen goods and having to step over a bullet-riddled dead body to get in the front door. The very idea that a competent, well-trained officer would ignore this body because he was just looking for stolen property is ridiculous.

In addition, when the fire marshal was questioned about the increased capacity he allowed at the Station nightclub, the prosecution interrupted by instructing Mr. Larocque to read from the state’s fire codes, rather than answering the questions.

After hearing these fairy tales, one of the grand jurors attempted to get a definition of bad faith. Instead, he was treated to a shell game of legal double-speak. The prosecutors did everything they could to discourage any consideration of charges against this fire inspector — or anyone else, for that matter.

So, I was wrong. There is something new to come out of the released testimony, hard evidence that the attorney general and his staff had an agenda.

I believe that their goal was to shield any and all public officials, the Town of West Warwick, and the State of Rhode Island from any responsibility in this horrific event. The accomplishment of this goal has resulted in an additional Station nightclub fire casualty: justice for our loved ones.

Dave Kane’s son, Nicholas O’Neill, died in the Station fire.