Father of Two Children Killed in New Jersey Boat Crash Asks Judge to Release Their Grandfather as Prosecutor Reveals BAC
The father of two children killed in a New Jersey boating crash has made an emotional plea for the release of the man accused of causing their deaths — their own grandfather, Stephen Schneider.
At an Ocean County court hearing Wednesday, Judge Wendel Daniels agreed to release the 64-year-old Schneider while his case proceeds. During the hearing, prosecutors disclosed a significant new detail: Schneider allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 at the time of the crash, twice New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08.
Schneider has been charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide/death by vessel in connection with the deaths of his grandchildren, Sigmund Golabek and Mya Golabek.
Prosecutor Reveals Alleged BAC
Prosecutor Kate Burke argued that Schneider should remain behind bars pending trial, pointing to the results of his blood alcohol test.
“The defendant consumed enough alcohol to reach a BAC of 0.16 and operate a vessel and the result was catastrophic,” Burke told the court.
Schneider had previously told police that he consumed three beers over approximately two hours while having dinner with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and two grandchildren.
The alleged BAC disclosed in court became a central part of the prosecution’s argument for continued detention.
Defense Says Tragedy Has Devastated the Family
Schneider’s attorney, William Cunningham, presented a sharply different picture of what should happen while the case moves forward.
Cunningham told the court that the tragedy had deeply affected Schneider and his entire family, saying his client “will probably never be on a boat again” and “will never be ingesting alcohol again.”
“This has cut to the root of his family,” the attorney said.
But one of the most striking moments of the hearing came not from Schneider’s lawyer or prosecutors, but from the father of the two children who died.
Children’s Father Pleads for Grandfather’s Release
Cunningham read aloud portions of a letter written by the children’s father asking the court to allow Schneider to leave jail.
Despite losing his children in the crash Schneider is accused of causing, the father described his father-in-law in deeply personal terms.
“He’s been there for our family in ways that words cannot fully express,” the letter said, describing Schneider as a “wonderful father-in-law.”
The father also addressed Schneider’s relationship with the children, writing: “I’m grateful for the way he loved my children.”
The plea presented the court with an unusually painful family dynamic: prosecutors were asking for Schneider to remain detained over allegations that he operated the vessel with twice the legal BAC, while the father of the two children who died was asking for his release.
Judge Allows Schneider to Be Released
After considering the arguments presented at the Ocean County hearing, Judge Daniels granted Schneider’s release.
The decision does not resolve the criminal case against him. Schneider still faces two counts of reckless vessel homicide/death by vessel as the proceedings continue.
The hearing nevertheless revealed two significant developments in the case — prosecutors’ allegation that Schneider’s BAC reached 0.16 and the emotional appeal from within the victims’ own family asking that he be allowed out of jail.
For the children’s father, the letter made clear that the devastating circumstances surrounding their deaths have not erased his view of Schneider as a father-in-law and grandfather who had been an important part of their family.