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Richard Stevenson ordered to remain in custody following fatal Fox River boat collision

A McHenry County judge ordered Richard Stevenson to remain in custody after a fatal boat collision on the Fox River occurred over the weekend. Stevenson, 45, faces three felony charges, including reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence, after his pontoon boat allegedly struck another vessel at 80 miles per hour in a no-wake zone. The collision resulted in the decapitation of a 48-year-old woman, identified as M.J., while her husband was injured in the second boat. Prosecutors described Stevenson as a "ticking time bomb" who was operating the boat under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol concentration of approximately 0.20 at the time of the crash. Stevenson has a long history of traffic-related offenses, including multiple prior DUI convictions and reckless driving charges. Judge Cynthia Lamb denied pretrial release, stating that GPS tracking would not make the community safe from the defendant. Stevenson is scheduled to return to court on August 5.

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