Unsolved Mysteries Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Stephanie booker

Stephanie Booker: before and after the incident

Real Name: Stephanie Booker
Case: Reckless Driving
Location: Lewisville, Texas
Date: June 17, 1995

Case[]

Details: On June 17, 1995, Stephanie Booker and her two friends, Sabra Scott and Kim Colvin, spent the day swimming and sailing on Lake Lewisville, twenty miles north of Dallas, Texas. After dinner that night, they went out for one last moment in their boat. Shortly before midnight, they turned around and headed back to shore. They slowed down as they entered the marina and passed through a no-wake zone. This area prohibits boaters from going faster than five miles per hour. Out of nowhere, a single engine Mercury cruiser speedboat drove right over them.
The speedboat's occupants looked back at them, but they made no attempts to help or stand up for their responsibilities. After about a minute, they fled the scene. Stephanie was badly mutilated by the reckless driving. Her face had been partially cut off by the propeller; she was holding parts of it in her hands. Due to her injuries, she was unable to speak and had problems breathing. Sabra and Kim suffered minor injuries. Paramedics immediately rushed Stephanie to the hospital. It took twelve reconstructive surgeries to repair the damage done to her face. She lost some of her nerves and teeth and can't smell or taste very well. Her memory and concentration are not as good as they were before the incident.
The police began a search for the speedboat's occupants. Witnesses who saw the collision report that the perpetrators hurriedly loaded their boat onto a trailer towed by a white pickup truck. They then fled the area without even tying the boat down. The police have been contacted three times by a person who claims to know the perpetrators. He claimed that he would talk to them and try and get them to turn themselves in. However, this has not yet happened. Although her wounds have healed, Stephanie will not be fully recovered until her attackers are brought to justice.

Stephanie booker speedboat

Boat similar to the one driven by the perpetrators

Suspects: The perpetrators' boat was a single engine Mercury cruiser speedboat. It is twenty-five to thirty feet long, painted white, with teal-green markings. The fiberglass shell was probably damaged on the starboard side, about five feet from the stern. The motor would have had damage to the out-drive, girkins, skeg, or gimbal ring. It might have been brought in for repairs or sold sometime after June 17, 1995. The perpetrators were seen hurriedly loading it onto a trailer towed by a white pickup truck.
The driver of the boat was described as a clean-shave white male, about 5'10", stocky, muscular, with light hair. His companion was described as an athletic-looking woman with very long dark hair. They have never been identified.
Extra Notes: This case first aired on the November 15, 1996 episode.
Results: Unsolved. Stephanie, Sabra, and Kim later sued the marina where the incident occurred, claiming that the no-wake zone was not properly lit, managed, or enforced. In August 1999, Stephanie's lawyer reached a tentative $400,000 settlement with the companies that operate the marina.
Former professional basketball player Dennis Rodman was considered a possible suspect in this case. He and two friends were at Lake Lewisville on the night of the incident. He had a boat which was identical to the one driven by the perpetrators. A witness claimed that he virtually confessed that his was the one that struck Stephanie, although he was not driving it. As a result of the marina lawsuit, he was deposed. It is not known if any information came about from it. However, investigators later cleared him and his associates as suspects after their alibis were confirmed.
Unfortunately, the statue of limitations expired on June 18, 1998, three years after the incident. This case was closed as a result. However, in July 1998, it was reopened after investigators received a tip from a person who allegedly overheard a conversation between people who were friends with the perpetrators. According to them, the driver's name is Danny and his companion's name is Yolanda. Investigators also noted that the statute of limitations could be extended, depending on certain circumstances. Despite the new lead, the speedboat and its occupants have never been located.
Interestingly, in 2002, an eerily similar speedboat hit-and-run happened on Lake Buchanan in Central Texas, killing one person and injuring two others. Eight years later, the assailant, Travis Aaron Marburger, was arrested in Burnet County and charged with manslaughter. He was later convicted of the charges and sent to prison. However, there is no evidence tying him to this case.
Links:


Advertisement