Lawrence Shieh allegedly took three women out for a nighttime boat ride on Boston Harbor after meeting them at a bar, authorities said. The 40-year-old Massachusetts man is accused of crashing the vessel head-on into a pier near Logan International Airport, killing one of the passengers, 24-year-old Elizabeth Dankert.
Background
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, Shieh was at a bar with friends on May 13 when he struck up a conversation with Dankert and her two companions after his friends had left. Seeking to impress the women, Shieh offered to take them to his boat club, which allows members to take vessels out onto the harbor—but not at night.
Shieh allegedly took a boat he did not own out onto the water around midnight despite the club's restrictions. The vessel had no exterior lighting to illuminate the water ahead and was being navigated in an area near Logan International Airport where boats are prohibited.
Cellphone videos recorded during the outing captured Shieh's conduct in the time leading up to the crash, including inattentiveness at the helm, dancing, and engaging with the three young women aboard. Prosecutors said approximately six seconds before impact, Shieh was captured on video with both hands off the wheel of the boat.
The Charges
Surveillance video showed the boat crashed head-on into a Logan Airport runway approach pier at roughly 36 mph—an excessive speed, according to prosecutors. All occupants were thrown backward upon impact. Dankert suffered a fatal injury to the back of her head. Shieh and the two other women sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Shieh has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, operating a boat while intoxicated causing death, and two counts of operating a boat while intoxicated and causing serious injury, according to the Suffolk District Attorney's Office. His blood alcohol level was 0.20—more than twice the legal limit for boating in Massachusetts.
"In the end, we are here today, and Lizzie Dankert is not here today because of Lawrence Shieh's dangerous and ultimately deadly behavior," Hayden said at a press conference. "He unlawfully took a boat out into Boston Harbor in the dead of night, he drove that boat at a reckless speed in a restricted area of the Boston Harbor. He did this with three young women aboard, placing their lives in imminent danger."
Shieh pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held on $25,000 bond.
Key Takeaways
- Elizabeth "Lizzie" Dankert was a 24-year-old English major at Union College who played soccer at the collegiate level
- Shieh's blood alcohol level was 0.20, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08
- The boat crashed at approximately 36 mph into a Logan Airport runway approach pier around midnight
- Cellphone videos captured Shieh with both hands off the wheel just six seconds before impact
- Shieh allegedly took the vessel from a boat club that prohibits nighttime use and operated in a prohibited zone near the airport
What's Next
Shieh is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 8 for his next hearing. His defense has entered not guilty pleas on all charges. Dankert's family, through their lawyer, expressed hope that accountability would be pursued, stating they intend "to focus their attention primarily on the seemingly insurmountable tasks of learning to go on without their beloved daughter and sister."