Fox River Horror: What Prosecutors Saw

A McHenry County judge kept a Lisle boater in jail after prosecutors said he was drunk, speeding, and responsible for a crash that left one woman dead and another person injured.

Quick Take

Prosecutors said Richard Stevenson was operating a pontoon boat at about 80 miles per hour in a no-wake zone.
They said a hospital toxicology test showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.236, far above Illinois’ 0.08 boating limit.
The crash killed a woman, injured her husband, and led to reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence charges.
A judge ordered Stevenson held without release after calling him a “real and present threat” to the community.

Prosecutors Describe a Deadly River Crash

Prosecutors told the court that Stevenson’s pontoon struck another boat on the Fox River after a day of heavy drinking and reckless speed. They said the impact was violent enough to cause the death of a woman on the other vessel and serious injury to her husband. Court reporting also said Stevenson’s boat overtook the other craft before crashing into timber along the riverbank.

The case has drawn strong attention because the reported facts are plain and grim. A boat that should have been moving slowly in a no-wake zone was instead described as racing at highway speed. Prosecutors said the scene, the injuries, and the alleged drinking all pointed to a preventable disaster. That is why the detention hearing focused so heavily on danger to the public and on keeping Stevenson locked up before trial.

Alcohol, Speed, and Prior Driving History

According to the court reports, a hospital blood draw showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.236, nearly three times Illinois’ legal limit for boating. Prosecutors also said Stevenson had been seen drinking earlier in the day and that passengers warned him to slow down. One report said he allegedly told a witness after the crash that he had been operating the vessel and had been drinking.

Prosecutors also leaned on Stevenson’s past driving record. Reporting said they described prior drunk-driving, reckless driving, and speeding offenses as part of the hearing. That history does not prove the new charges by itself, but it helps explain why the court treated the case as a major public-safety risk. The judge’s detention ruling shows how seriously the State says it views intoxicated operation of a boat.

Court Ruling Keeps the Case Moving Forward

Judge Cynthia Lamb denied pretrial release and ordered Stevenson held without release while the case moves ahead. Court reporting said the judge found the allegations serious enough to describe him as a threat to the community. Stevenson now faces charges including reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence. The next court date reported in coverage was set for August 5.

🚨 ILLINOIS CORONER IDENTIFIES WOMAN KILLED IN DEVASTATING FOX RIVER BOAT CRASH

📍 McHenry, Illinois 🇺🇸

Authorities have identified the woman killed in Saturday's fatal boat crash on the Fox River as 48-year-old Magdalena Jablonska, a U.S. military veteran from Des Plaines,… pic.twitter.com/cR8i4zymw8

— TrueCrime with Gennie (@CynthiaSpeaksNG) July 29, 2026

Some early details were still developing in the first reports, including the victim’s public identification and the condition of the second injured victim. That is normal in a fast-moving criminal case, but it also means the strongest public claims still come from prosecutor summaries and initial court coverage. The larger picture, however, is not in dispute: prosecutors say a drunk boater tore through a no-wake zone, causing a fatal crash that now carries serious felony charges.