The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is asking the public for help identifying a boat that was captured on video shortly before a fatal crash on the Fox River in McHenry County last month.
The department released a photo of the boat, which appeared in a bystander's video recorded around 11 a.m. on July 25 on Petite Lake, just before the crash. According to the DNR, investigators believe the boat's occupants may have witnessed activity or have information relevant to the case, but they are not believed to have been involved in the crash.
The plea comes after a grand jury indicted Richard Stevenson, 45, of Lisle, on charges of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated driving under the influence, and four counts of operating a watercraft under the influence. Prosecutors said Stevenson was traveling around 80 miles per hour when his boat crashed into another boat, killing Marine veteran Magdalena Jablonska, 48, and injuring her fiancé. The indictment also alleges that Stevenson had cocaine and THC in his system and was significantly over the legal alcohol limit, according to the Shaw Local Enewspapers report. Stevenson has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The crash occurred on the afternoon of July 25. According to authorities, Stevenson was driving his pontoon, which was equipped with three 500-horsepower engines, at 80 mph. The boat entered a no-wake zone near McHenry around 2:30 p.m. and collided with another vessel. The Shaw Local Enewspapers report indicates that Stevenson's boat was traveling so fast that its front end was raised, obstructing the driver's view. Two other people who were on the boat fled but were later located and told authorities they had seen Stevenson drinking.
The IDNR posted its renewed request for the public's assistance on its Facebook page on Monday, after the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder. The post included a link to the video, which was uploaded on YouTube and allegedly shows Stevenson's pontoon speeding past three other boats. Officials urged anyone who recognizes the boat or its occupants to submit information through the Illinois Conservation Police online tip portal. "The occupants of the boat in question are being sought solely as [potential witnesses]," IDNR officials said in the post, as quoted by Shaw Local Enewspapers.
In addition to the criminal case, a wrongful death lawsuit has been filed on behalf of Jablonska's estate and her fiancé, who was on the boat and injured. The suit was filed by GWC Injury Lawyers, according to Shaw Local Enewspapers.
Stevenson has been in county jail since July 27, when a judge denied his release.