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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – Indictments have come back for a man charged in connection to a fatal boat crash that happened over the summer.
District Attorney Rachael Rollins said a Suffolk County grand jury returned indictments to Ryan Denver on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old is charged with manslaughter and other offenses after his boat crashed and sank in July, killing 27-year-old Jeanica Julce.
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Denver was operating his 37-foot-long speed boat during the early morning hours when the 17,000-pound vessel crashed into a buoy and sank – sending all passengers into the water of the Boston Harbor.
Emergency response crews were able to rescue seven of the eight passengers, but Julce lost her life. Her body was found at approximately 10:00 a.m. the same day.
“Jeanica was a vibrant young woman with a beautiful life ahead of her,” Rollins said. “She deserved better than to lose everything because of another individual’s recklessness.”
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Denver is charged with involuntary manslaughter, three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury and two counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
In a statement, Denver's attorney, Michael J. Connolly, said his team determined that Denver was operating his boat in a "reasonable manner and at an appropriate speed." Connolly also argued that the buoy the boat collided with was not illuminated or was sufficiently marked for recreational boaters.
"Ryan Denver is an admired businessman, who, along with his team at Select Demo, has created a trusted and accomplished company that has given back to the community in many ways," Connolly said. "He should not be subjected to criminal charges as a result of this terrible accident."
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