On May 13, 1985, Philadelphia police dropped two bombs on a house occupied by the MOVE organization in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood; the resulting fire, which police allowed to burn for 90 minutes, killed eleven people — six adults and five children — and destroyed 61 homes.
Officials observe damage of MOVE bombing on 6200 block at Osage Avenue — Credit: Sam Kushner · Public domain
MOVE, which Philadelphia mayor Wilson Goode and police commissioner Gregore J. Sambor classified as a terrorist organization, relocated in 1981 to a row house at 6221 Osage Avenue in the Cobbs Creek section of West Philadelphia. For years afterward, neighbors complained to the city about trash around the property, confrontations with MOVE members, and bullhorn announcements of political messages, though the bullhorn had been broken and unused for the three weeks beforehand. In 1985, police obtained arrest warrants charging four MOVE occupants with parole violations, contempt of court, illegal possession of firearms, and making terroristic threats. Police evacuated neighborhood residents beforehand, telling them they could return after 24 hours.
On May 13, 1985, nearly 500 police officers arrived to execute the warrants and clear the house, which held seven adults and six children. Officers cut off water and electricity to the building, and Sambor gave MOVE members 15 minutes to surrender. When they did not comply, police threw tear gas and a 90-minute gunfight followed in which police fired more than 10,000 rounds. At 2 p.m., Sambor ordered the house bombed. Philadelphia police lieutenant Frank Powell, flying in a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, dropped two explosive devices made of Tovex and FBI-supplied C-4 onto a fortified bunker on the roof, igniting the fuel of a gasoline-powered generator and setting the house on fire. Officials said this was meant to destroy the roof bunker so tear gas could flush out the occupants; firefighters who moved in thirty minutes later were ordered back amid gunfire as the fire spread to neighboring houses. The fire killed eleven people in the house, six adults and five children: John Africa, Rhonda Africa, Theresa Africa, Frank Africa, Conrad Africa, Tree Africa, Delisha Africa, Netta Africa, Little Phil Africa, Tomaso Africa, and Raymond Africa. Two occupants survived: Ramona Africa, the only surviving adult, and Birdie Africa, then 13 years old. The fire went on to destroy 61 neighboring houses, leaving 250 people homeless.
Goode appointed the Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, which found in its March 1986 report that dropping a bomb on an occupied row house was unconscionable; Goode then issued a formal public apology, and Sambor had already resigned that November. No one in city government was criminally charged over the deaths, though Ramona Africa was charged and convicted of riot and conspiracy and served seven years in prison. In 1995, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals held that the bombing was not a Fourth Amendment seizure, that officials had qualified immunity as individuals, but that the city itself was not immune from liability. A federal jury awarded $1.5 million in 1996 to Ramona Africa and relatives of two people killed in the bombing after finding the city had used excessive force, and a separate federal jury awarded displaced residents $12.83 million in 2005. The Philadelphia City Council formally apologized for the bombing in a 2020 resolution and, in 2025, designated May 13 an annual day of reflection and remembrance.
The rebuilt block was later found defective; by 2005 the city was paying homeowners to leave rather than fix it, and in 2023 a member of the Africa family bought back 6221 Osage Avenue to create a memorial. Separately, the remains of two of the children killed, Tree Africa and Delisha Africa, were kept for decades by a University of Pennsylvania museum and used in an online forensics course; the disclosure caused public outcry, and in 2021 the city's health commissioner resigned after ordering other victims' remains cremated in 2017 without notifying their families.
Tomaso Africa, Raymond Africa, Theresa Africa, Conrad Africa, Little Phil Africa, Delisha Africa, Tree Africa, Rhonda Africa, Birdie Africa, John Africa, Frank Africa, Netta Africa
Date
1985
Location
6221 Osage Avenue, Cobbs Creek, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Case status
unsolved
Case timeline
1981
MOVE relocated to a row house at 6221 Osage Avenue in the Cobbs Creek section of West Philadelphia.
1985-05-13
Nearly 500 Philadelphia police officers arrived to execute arrest warrants against MOVE occupants; a 90-minute gunfight followed after MOVE members fired on police attempting to clear the house.
1985-05-13
Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor ordered the house bombed; Lt. Frank Powell dropped two explosive devices from a police helicopter, igniting a fire that was allowed to burn, killing eleven people and destroying 61 neighboring houses.
1985-11
Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor resigned.
1986-03-06
The Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission (MOVE Commission) issued a report denouncing the bombing of an occupied row house as unconscionable; Mayor Wilson Goode made a formal public apology.
1995-03-06
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the city was not immune from liability for the bombing, though individual officials had qualified immunity.
1996
A federal jury ordered the city to pay $1.5 million to survivor Ramona Africa and relatives of two people killed in the bombing after finding the city used excessive force.
2005
A federal jury ordered the City of Philadelphia to pay $12.83 million to residents displaced by the destruction from the bombing.
2020-11
The Philadelphia City Council approved a resolution formally apologizing for the bombing.
2025-05-08
The Philadelphia City Council approved a resolution declaring May 13 a day of reflection and remembrance for the victims.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Bailey Sarian / 56 min
Who gave the Philly Police a friggin’ BOMB?!: The 1985 MOVE Bombing | Dark History Podcast
People
Tomaso Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Raymond Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Theresa Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Conrad Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Little Phil Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Delisha Africa
VICTIM
One of five children killed in the May 13, 1985 fire; also known as Delisha Orr Africa, age 12. Her remains were also kept for decades by a University of Pennsylvania museum; additional remains believed to be hers were found at the university in November 2024.
Tree Africa
VICTIM
One of five children killed in the May 13, 1985 fire; also known as Katricia Dotson, age 14. Her remains were later kept for decades by a University of Pennsylvania museum and used in an online forensic anthropology course before being returned to her family in 2021.
Rhonda Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Frank Powell
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Philadelphia Police Department lieutenant who, from a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, dropped the two bombs onto the roof of the MOVE house on May 13, 1985.
Gregore J. Sambor
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Philadelphia police commissioner who, with Mayor Wilson Goode, classified MOVE as a terrorist organization; read the May 13, 1985 surrender ultimatum to MOVE members and ordered the house bombed. Resigned in November 1985.
Birdie Africa
VICTIM
Survived the May 13, 1985 fire at age 13; one of only two occupants of the house who escaped.
John Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Frank Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Netta Africa
VICTIM
Killed in the May 13, 1985 fire after Philadelphia police bombed the MOVE house at 6221 Osage Avenue; one of eleven people who died when the fire was allowed to burn.
Ramona Africa
CONVICTED
The only surviving adult MOVE member; escaped the May 13, 1985 fire, refused to testify in court, and was charged and convicted of riot and conspiracy, serving seven years in prison. In 1996 a federal jury awarded her $500,000 for pain, suffering, and physical harm from the fire as part of a larger judgment against the city.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
On May 13, 1985, Philadelphia police dropped two bombs on a house occupied by the MOVE organization in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood; the resulting fire, which police allowed to burn for 90 minutes, killed eleven people — six adults and five children — and destroyed 61 homes.
Where did the bombing happen?
6221 Osage Avenue, Cobbs Creek, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Who was convicted?
Ramona Africa (The only surviving adult MOVE member; escaped the May 13, 1985 fire, refused to testify in court, and was charged and convicted of riot and conspiracy, serving seven years in prison. In 1996 a federal jury awarded her $500,000 for pain, suffering, and physical harm from the fire as part of a larger judgment against the city.).
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