A completely reasonable defense strategy.
The captain is 68 years old.
A conviction or plea deal almost certainly means he will die in prison.
And if he does get out, his Social Security pension will be his only asset and income.
One thing I still do not understand - was this a wooden or fiber glass boat?
How does a metal boat burn down to the water line unless there was a natural gas or fuel explosion first?
It was a wooden and fiber glass boat. The scuttle butt is that a phone being charged caught fire and the boat went up in flames in seconds. It was dark so even if they had had warning very few would have been able to get out of the boat. I had a family member that was diving on that boat a week before the fire happened. It is a very sad tragedy for everyone involved.
“One thing I still do not understand - was this a wooden or fiber glass boat?”
Wood covered with fiberglass.
Essentially wood.