Family of 2007 Saratoga Springs home bombing victims reflect on loss after recent events

SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah (KUTV) — The families of two victims of the 2007 Saratoga Springs home bombing are reflecting on their losses after a recent house bombing in South Jordan.

Eighteen years ago, Greg Roper and Laurie Radford lost loved ones in a devastating home explosion in Saratoga Springs.

Now that another family has faced a similar tragedy near their South Jordan neighborhood, the pain feels fresh again.

On February 6, 2007, after a gas leak was fixed, Roper’s wife April and Radford’s husband Larry were killed in an explosion at the Roper family’s home.

Greg Roper, who worked in construction nearby, remembers the moment his world came crashing down.

“When I walked up to my house, I was devastated,” he said. “I thought both my daughter and my wife were at home – that I had lost them both. It was a devastating experience for me that I will never forget.”

Roper’s infant daughter, who was in the garage, survived. However, April didn’t do this.

“My wife was young when she died,” he said. “She had to live a lot more life.”

Larry Radford, a Questar employee, entered the Ropers’ home shortly before the explosion.

His wife Laurie recalled feeling depressed as the hours passed and he did not return from work.

“At that moment, I just knew it was Larry,” she said. “I just knew it was him because he wasn’t home yet.”

the recent house bombing in South Jordan that killed a teenage boy, is a reminder of how life can change in an instant.

“I realized that life is very fragile in this life,” Roper said. “Everything can change in the blink of an eye. You never know when something might happen.”

“You’ll be in the cloud for quite a long time,” Radford said. “You just have to keep your family and friends close to you.”

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