A Boston man has been indicted in connection with a May boat crash in Boston Harbor that killed 24-year-old Elizabeth “Lizzie” Dankert and seriously injured two of her friends, Suffolk County prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Lawrence Shieh, 40, is facing multiple charges after a Suffolk County grand jury returned an indictment in the case. The charges include involuntary manslaughter, operating a boat while intoxicated causing death, two counts of operating a boat while intoxicated causing serious bodily injury, using a boat without authority and a Logan Airport security violation.
Shieh is expected to be arraigned Wednesday in Suffolk Superior Court, according to prosecutors. He turned himself in to authorities Tuesday.
The crash happened late May 13 near Logan International Airport. Dankert and two friends, both 23, had been in Boston’s Seaport District when they met Shieh, prosecutors said. The group later boarded a small boat that Shieh allegedly presented as his own, although the vessel belonged to Freedom Boat Club.
According to Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden, investigators determined that Shieh had been drinking before taking the boat out. Prosecutors said his blood alcohol level was measured at 0.20 following the crash, more than twice the legal limit.
Investigators also reviewed cellphone video from the boat. Prosecutors said the footage showed Shieh appearing inattentive while operating the vessel, including dancing and interacting with the three women. About six seconds before the collision, investigators say, the video shows Shieh with both hands away from the wheel.
The boat was traveling at an estimated 36 mph before the crash, according to prosecutors. Investigators said it made a sharp turn at about 11:10 p.m. and headed toward Pier 4R, a structure connected to a runway at Logan Airport. The boat struck the pier nearly head-on.
The impact sent all four people into the rocky shoreline. Rescue crews, including Boston EMS and Massachusetts State Police personnel, responded in difficult conditions involving darkness and slippery rocks. The four occupants were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dankert died from her injuries at the hospital.
Dankert was from Andover and graduated from Union College in New York in 2024, where she played soccer. She was also a graduate of Central Catholic High School in Lawrence. Friends, her former college and her employer previously remembered her for her positive personality, athletic ability and the impact she had on people around her.
The boat involved in the crash was taken from a Freedom Boat Club location in Boston’s Seaport District without authorization, according to the company. Brunswick Corporation, which owns the club, said the vessel was operated outside normal club hours and outside the club’s knowledge and control.
Prosecutors said Freedom Boat Club did not permit the vessel to be used at night, and the boat did not have the exterior lighting needed for nighttime operation. The club has said it cooperated with investigators and terminated Shieh’s membership.
The case comes after several months of investigation by Massachusetts State Police and other agencies. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Boutwell, who leads the State Police Division of Investigative Services, said the investigation required extensive work before authorities announced the charges.
The indictment now moves the case into the court process. The charges are allegations, and Shieh is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
