Criminal charges brought against three men for their role in a tourist boat sinking and killing 17 during a Missouri storm in 2018 have been dropped by a judge.
Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship was responsible for dropping the charges brought against Kenneth Scott McKee, 54, Charles V. Baltzell, 79, and Curtis P. Lanham, 39.
The three men were each charged with 17 counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter after waves swamped the boat due to the strong winds after entering Table Rock Lake in July 2018. Riders from Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, and Arkansas were among those killed, while 14 survived.
McKee was the captain of the duck boat, an amphibious vehicle, Baltzell was the operation supervisor who was the manager on duty, and Lanham was the general manager at the company they worked for, Ride the Ducks in Branson.
McKee was accused of taking the boat onto the lake despite the severity of the approaching storm, while Lanham and Baltzell were accused of not communicating the weather conditions and stopping operations after the severe thunderstorm warning was issued.
However, the men shared during preliminary hearings they were not aware of the thunderstorm warning or that people were being advised to leave the lake.
Blankenship said that while the men knew the storm was coming, they did not know the storm would bring a "gust front," KETV-TV reported.
Mckee's attorney, James Hobbs, shared that "this was a tragedy for all involved" while expressing his client's gratefulness and respect for the judge's decision. Lawyers for the other two men shared that their clients feel the same, ABC7 reported.
There has not been a decision on refiling charges, but the Missouri Attorney General's Office shared they are currently considering it.
A spokesman for the office, Chris Nuelle, shared in a statement that they are not giving up their pursuit of justice.
"We're disappointed in the Court's decision, but we're not giving up in our pursuit of justice on behalf of the 17 victims and their families," Nuelle said in a statement. "Our Office hopes to refile charges and continue this case, and will confer with the local prosecutor to that end in the coming days."
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