New Information About Oneonta, New York Explosion, Conspiracies Surge

On Monday, December 18th the Town of Oneonta held a public meeting to discuss the home explosion in the Town of Oneonta on December 9th, 2023 that claimed the life of Desmond Moan, 60. Video of the meeting can be seen here.

Get our free mobile app

Cause of the Oneonta, New York explosion determined

At the meeting, the Otsego County Sheriff's Office revealed that Moan had discharged a firearm in the residence located at 18 Richards Ave. The gunshot apparently cut a gas line in the home. Whether or not the firearm discharge was intentional or not is still unclear. At about 8 a.m. on Saturday, the smell of gas was reported to NYSEG, and technicians were called out to the neighborhood. At that time, leaky gas valves were thought to be the source of the smell.

Later in the day, around 4:30 p.m., NYSEG was called back out to look into the odor of gas at 14 Richards Ave. While the NYSEG employee was conducting an investigation, the home at 18 Richards Ave. exploded. The NYSEG employee was unharmed, and homes in the vicinity were damaged.

Locals erupt in conspiracy theories

It's been a wild and grueling 24 hours for admins of local Facebook groups. As soon as the meeting concluded, people raced to the local pages to spread conspiracy theories and possible misinformation to the masses. Some of the loudest voices are claiming that NYSEG, a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc., which is based in Spain, is colluding with local and state authorities to cover up "what really happened". Others are rejecting the claims about a gunshot's ability to penetrate a floor and pierce a 1/2 inch gas line, and are asking to see a weapon and a bullet.

At this point, there is no evidence that has been presented that points to a coverup or a conspiracy on the part of NYSEG or local and state authorities. The people posting them do not appear to have any kind of legal or professional connection to the home explosion on Richards Ave.