Commonwealth v. Morse

The defendant was piloting a motorboat in the late afternoon of August 17, 2010, when it struck a kayak.1 Ten year old Augustus Adamopoulos, who was in the kayak fishing with his father, died as a result of the collision; his father sustained serious injuries. The defendant was charged with manslaughter, G. L. c. 265, § 13; serious bodily injury and homicide2 by vessel, G. L. c. 90B, §§ 8A, 8B; and three counts of child endangerment while operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, G. L. c. 90, § 24V.

In an interview with police following the collision, the defendant…