Four years after fire engulfed scuba dive boat, killing 34 people, captain's trial begins

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Federal prosecutors are seeking justice for 34 people killed in a fire aboard a scuba dive boat called the Conception in 2019. The trial against Captain Jerry Boylan begins Tuesday with jury selection.

By the time the scuba dive boat sank off the Southern California coast after catching fire, 34 people had been killed in the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.

"The past four years have been like living in a nightmare that you don't wake up from," said Kathleen McIlvain, whose 44-year-old son Charles was killed. U.S. District Judge George Wu on Oct. 12 granted Boylan's request to bar most if not all references to "victims" - which the captain's attorneys say is a prejudicial term that jeopardizes his right to a fair trial. It's the latest setback for the prosecution.

Boylan is now charged with one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer. The single count means he faces only 10 years behind bars if convicted. What exactly started the predawn fire remains unknown. Early official scrutiny appeared to focus on a spot where divers plugged in phones and other electronics. But a Los Angeles Times story, citing a confidential report by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said the blaze began in a plastic trash can on the main deck though an official cause remains undetermined.

 

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