FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A man who said his wife disappeared at sea when their boat collided with an unknown object near the Bahamas has been charged with murder.
An FBI affidavit released Tuesday says that 41-year-old Lewis Bennett is charged with second-degree murder in the May disappearance of 41-year-old Isabella Hellman of Delray Beach. Bennett holds dual British and Australian citizenship.
Bennett was arrested while facing sentencing Tuesday in Miami federal court on charges of stealing coins from a yacht in the Caribbean. His lawyer did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
According to the FBI, Bennett told investigators he had gone below deck on their boat near the Bahamas and left Hellman above to keep watch. The FBI says he falsely claimed she disappeared after the supposed accident.
