Missing Evidence Delays 10-Year Plea Deal for New Jersey Grandfather Charged in Fatal Boat Crash

A proposed 10-year prison deal remains unresolved for Stephen Schneider, the New Jersey grandfather accused of operating a boat while intoxicated in a crash that killed his two grandchildren.

During a hearing Tuesday in Ocean County Superior Court in Toms River, attorneys representing the 64-year-old retired postal worker said they were not prepared to accept the offer because significant evidence had yet to be reviewed.

Prosecutors subsequently acknowledged that the proposal may have been presented too early, with an autopsy report and information requested from the US Coast Guard still outstanding.

Two consecutive five-year sentences offered

Schneider faces death-by-vessel charges stemming from the July 19 crash in Berkeley Township.

Under the proposed agreement, he would receive two five-year prison terms to be served consecutively—one for each of his grandchildren, 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Paul Golabek.

Defense attorney William Cunningham told the court that Schneider’s legal team was still waiting for much of the discovery material needed to assess the case and the proposed resolution.

“We’re waiting patiently for most of the discovery, and it’s going to be a long time coming,” Cunningham said.

Although numerous police reports have already been supplied to the defense, both sides agreed that important parts of the evidentiary record remain incomplete.

Prosecutor concedes offer may have come too soon

Assistant prosecutor Christopher Heisler said authorities were still waiting for an autopsy report that could take some time to arrive.

The prosecution has also submitted requests to the Coast Guard concerning the waterway where the crash occurred. Those records are not expected immediately.

Heisler agreed with the defense that the outstanding material could delay further decisions in the case.

The acknowledgment effectively placed the proposed plea agreement on hold, leaving Schneider’s legal position unresolved ahead of his next court appearance.

Boat struck a channel marker after family dinner

The fatal collision occurred at approximately 9 p.m. as Schneider was taking his wife and two grandchildren home from a family dinner.

Authorities allege that his 30-foot Tidewater 280 center-console boat struck a channel marker in the waters near Berkeley Township.

The impact threw Mya and Sigmund from the vessel. Both children were wearing life jackets, but neither survived.

Schneider later surrendered to Berkeley Township police.

Prosecutors have alleged that his blood-alcohol concentration was 0.16—twice the legal limit of 0.08. The allegation became a central part of the criminal case and led to charges accusing him of causing the children’s deaths while operating the vessel under the influence.

Schneider remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless convicted or he enters a guilty plea.

Children’s father previously asked for Schneider’s release

The case has placed the victims’ family in an especially painful position.

In August, Schneider’s son—the father of Mya and Sigmund—asked that his father be released while the case proceeded.

Schneider was eventually released from custody and remains subject to pretrial monitoring.

That family appeal unfolded alongside the prosecution’s claims about Schneider’s alleged level of intoxication, underscoring the complicated circumstances surrounding a case in which the accused is also the children’s grandfather.

Case remains unresolved

Tuesday’s proceeding did not produce a plea agreement or a final decision regarding Schneider’s sentence.

Instead, the hearing highlighted how much of the case still depends on material that has not yet been delivered to both sides. The pending autopsy findings and Coast Guard information could influence how attorneys evaluate the prosecution’s evidence, the defense’s position and any future plea negotiations.

For now, the offer of two consecutive five-year prison terms remains unaccepted.

Schneider is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 16 as the parties continue gathering and reviewing evidence connected to the fatal July crash.