[Al Skierkiewicz]

Caleb,
Like I said in an earlier post, infant mortality is always a possibility. There may even be a defect in the controller. (solder splash, incorrect device, etc.)
Yes, the breaker should have been tripping, RC should have been resetting, etc. if there was a wiring error. Be sure that the controller was the cause and not the effect before powering up a new controller. A picture would be a nice thing if you could post a closeup of the damaged transistors. Most people never get a chance to see solid state destruction at it's finest.