Dana Greensfelder said the night of April 20, 2024, will be etched into her memory forever.

Greensfelder recounted that she received a call from her neighbor at 11 p.m. that night — and immediately knew that something was wrong.

Her house on Crafton Road in Essex — the only home that her two daughters had ever known — was gone. It was in pieces scattered throughout the neighborhood after an explosion.

“We had nothing,” Greensfelder said on Thursday at the Baltimore County Courts Building. “We were now homeless.”

She said she misses her home, her family photos and her dog, a 1-year-old Yorkshire terrier named Nicki Minaj who is presumed to have died in the blast. But Greensfelder said she’s forever grateful that her daughters were not home.

The explosion was no accident. Her estranged husband, Michael, who had a history of alcohol use disorder and mental health issues, intentionally set a fire that triggered the blast.

Baltimore County Circuit Judge Circuit Judge Julie L. Glass later sentenced Michael Greensfelder, 53, of Essex, to serve 20 years in prison, with 13 years suspended, and three years of supervised probation, after he pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree arson.

“What occurred was an extreme risk to public safety,” Glass said. “It put many people at risk of danger.”

Firefighters and police officers responded to the fire, which reached two alarms and took more than three hours to bring under control.

Investigators obtained surveillance video that showed Michael Greensfelder walking through the front door of the home and then leaving after the explosion. A neighbor told police that she saw him in the back of the house about 45 minutes before the blast.

Detectives caught up with Michael Greensfelder about three-tenths of a mile away. He reported that he was “in and out of sleep” on the couch when the house exploded.

First responders took him to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. On his arms, legs, shoulders, head and neck, he suffered first- and second-degree burns.

Up to two hours before the explosion, and throughout the blast, Baltimore Gas and Electric Company determined that the flow of gas into the home increased by almost 10 times the normal amount. That’s consistent with a pipe being open.

Law enforcement later executed a search and seizure warrant and found a pipe cap at the base of the furnace, which investigators reported was consistent with it being intentionally unscrewed.

Assistant State’s Attorney Jesse Lachman gave photos of the dog to the judge as well as pictures that captured the devastation.

“The house completely collapsed on itself,” Lachman said. “It’s a total loss.”

Lachman said the sentencing guidelines called for a punishment that ranged from three months in jail to four years in prison, which he described as “very inappropriate.” Prosecutors agreed to cap the maximum sentence at seven years in prison and pushed for that penalty.

Meanwhile, Assistant Public Defender Maureen Apugo, Michael Greensfelder’s attorney, said her client has struggled with alcohol use disorder and tried several times in the past to take his own life.

“He was completely and totally defeated,” Apugo said.

At first, Michael Greensfelder appeared broken in their meetings and would often burst into tears. But Apugo said she’s noticed a shift in him.

He’s now taking medication for mental health issues and participating in Bible study at the Baltimore County Detention Center, which has served as a source of strength. He’s also completed several courses in areas including job readiness, parenting and anger management, Apugo said.

She requested a sentence of four years in prison.

Throughout the hearing, Michael Greensfelder used a tissue to wipe away tears. He was handcuffed and wore a red jumpsuit with a white long sleeve shirt underneath.

Later, he stood up, turned around and addressed loved ones sitting in the courtroom gallery. He apologized to his family members, friends and neighbors and added that he can never make up for what happened.

“I know my Lord has forgiven me,” Michael Greensfelder said. “I know I have to earn everybody else’s forgiveness.”

He thanked everyone for coming to the hearing. And he said he loved them.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.