The first autopsies of victims of the superyacht sinking off Sicily show drowning as the cause of death, authorities said Monday. US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, were among seven people who died when the Bayesian sank in a sudden, violent storm on Aug. 19. The autopsies were carried out by coroners designated by Palermo prosecutors, who confirmed the results, the AP reports. Autopsies are planned Wednesday on the bodies of Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley's London-based investment banking subsidiary, and his wife, Judy.
Results are pending for the remaining three victims, British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who had organized the yacht trip to celebrate a recent legal victory; his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, and the yacht's cook, Recaldo Thomas. Morvillo was one of Lynch's US lawyers in a fraud case involving the sale in 2011 of Autonomy, a search engine company that became a symbol of British ingenuity, to Hewlett-Packard in an $11 billion deal that quickly turned sour over allegations Lynch had cooked the books to overvalue Autonomy. He was acquitted in June.
Prosecutors are investigating the captain and two crew members for possible responsibility in connection with the sinking, per the AP. The 184-foot British-flagged luxury yacht sank during what appears to have been a sudden downburst, or localized powerful wind from a thunderstorm that spreads rapidly after hitting the surface. Fifteen people, including Lynch's wife, were rescued. Prosecutors said raising the Bayesian and examining the yacht for evidence would provide key elements to the investigation. No timeline has been determined.
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