Clinton Township explosion: Building owner's manslaughter case sent back to district court

FOX 2 - The owner of a Clinton Township building that exploded in 2024 had his involuntary manslaughter case sent back to district court.

The backstory:

A fire at the building that housed Noor Noel Kestou's business Goo and Select Distributors at 15 Mile and Groesbeck triggered explosions spreading shrapnel.

The blasts were so strong that they sent pieces of metal flying as far as a mile away, with 19-year-old Turner Salter, who was a quarter mile away, being hit and killed by a flying canister.

Kestou, 33, learned on Friday that the case was ordered to be returned to Clinton Township district court for further proceedings.

The prosecution is tasked with presenting evidence to establish his storage of thousands of nitrus oxide and butane canisters presented a hazard that led to Salter's death.

Kestou, of Commerce, MI, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, a 15-year felony, in connection with the death of Turner Salter of Clinton Township.

Dig deeper:

The judge ruled that Kestou's butane storage - which exceeded the statutory amount limited by the building and fire codes - failed to show that he should have forseen the massive fire.

"Although butane is uncontrovertibly flammable, the prosecution elicited no evidence that the material was explosive as well," said Circuit Judge Michael E. Servitto. " Nor did the prosecution present any evidence of how ignited butane might react with nitrous oxide. Even assuming butane has explosive properties, the parties' stipulation leaves an open question as to whether the Defendant stored one cannister or thousands of cannisters over the statutory limit.

"As the evidence offers no suggestion that butane is explosive and fails to establish (Kestou) stored butane in excessive quantities, the district court abused its discretion in finding probable cause that the intensity of the fire and its ensuing explosions were foreseeable."

On March 4, 2024, a building owned and operated by Kestou caught fire while storing thousands of nitrous oxide and butane canisters.

The resulting fire triggered a massive explosion, propelling canisters into the air. One nitrous oxide canister reportedly traveled approximately a quarter mile before striking Salter in the head, killing him.

On December 26, 2025, Kestou filed a motion to quash the information, which, if granted, would result in dismissal of the charge.

He argued that the fire, not his storage of the canisters, was the direct cause of Salter’s death.

Both parties submitted legal briefs, and the court heard oral arguments on January 26, 2026. Judge Servitto issued his opinion and order two months later.

Related:

• Building owner to stand trial after deadly blast
• Clinton Township fatal explosion: Business owner in court Thursday
• Clinton Township explosion: What's known, unknown after building was leveled by blasts

In his ruling, the judge determined that the issue of proximate cause, a required element for proving involuntary manslaughter, was not sufficiently established at the district court level.

"The situation on March 4, 2024, posed extraordinary danger to our community and to first responders. Tragically, a young man lost his life," said Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido in a statement. "With the court’s order, this matter now returns to the district court. My duty is to seek justice for the victim and his family, and I remain committed to that objective."

Proximate cause requires that a defendant’s actions be closely enough connected to a victim’s injury to hold the defendant legally responsible. The court found this element lacking and concluded that the district court abused its discretion in finding the storage of hazardous materials proximately caused the victim’s death.