At an arraignment at the Chatham County Courthouse on Wednesday, Mark Christopher Stegall, 46, pleaded not guilty to multiple felony charges, including 10 counts of first-degree homicide by vessel, for the 2022 Memorial Day weekend boat crash that killed five people on the Wilmington River. Stegall requested trial by jury.
A joint investigation by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the Chatham County District Attorney concluded that Stegall was operating the boat recklessly by driving on the wrong side of the channel/river while under the influence of alcohol.
Four members of the Leffler family — Chris, 51, his wife Lori, 50, and their sons Zach, 23, and Nate, 17 — died in the May 28, 2022, accident. Robert "Stephen" Chauncey, 37, a passenger in Stegall's boat, also died. Four other people were injured.
At the arraignment, Stegall's attorney, Tom Withers of Withers Law Firm, said the defense "have received voluminous discovery."
A trial date has not been scheduled.
Drew Favakeh is the public safety and courts reporter for Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at AFavakeh@savannahnow.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Mark Stegall pleads not guilty, requests jury trial for Memorial Day 2022 boat crash
MEET OUR PARTNER
Today’s story comes from our partner, Savannah Morning News. Savannah Morning News provides daily news coverage on Coastal Georgia. Visit them at savannahnow.com or on Twitter @SavannahNow.
If you have any feedback or questions about our partnerships, you can contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams via email at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
