Investigation into the Sinking of the Bayesian Yacht and Captain’s Suspicions

Investigation Launched into Bayesian Yacht Tragedy

Italian authorities have officially named James Cutfield, the captain of the ill-fated Bayesian yacht that sank last Monday, as a suspect in a manslaughter investigation concerning the tragic deaths of seven individuals. This significant development was confirmed by prosecutors from Termini Imerese, a town located in the Metropolitan area of Palermo, Sicily.

On Sunday, Cutfield underwent a two-hour interrogation, marking his second questioning session within a week as part of the ongoing investigation into this maritime disaster. During this detailed hearing, authorities focused on several critical issues, including:

• Whether the tender door, which separates the tender room from the engine room, had been opened prior to the sinking.
• The position of the movable centerboard at the time of the incident.
• The precise chronology of events that led to the vessel’s sinking.

One of the major points of contention remains the 32-minute delay between the time the yacht went under and the subsequent launch of a signal flare that could have alerted nearby vessels to the danger. Investigators are also examining communication between Cutfield and the crew member responsible for monitoring weather conditions, the overall state of the ship prior to the tragedy, and the functionality of the mechanisms used to secure the ship’s doors.

Initially, Cutfield was questioned as a witness, but his status has since shifted to that of a suspect due to emerging witness testimonies and a thorough analysis of underwater images captured from the wreck. Additionally, there is a possibility that more crew members may face scrutiny in the forthcoming days.

Autopsies Scheduled to Commence on Tuesday

The autopsy examinations for the seven victims of the shipwreck are set to begin on Tuesday at the Palermo Polyclinic, with the process expected to last until Thursday. Currently, two of the deceased individuals are being held at the forensic medicine institute of a local university hospital, while the remaining five bodies are located at the Rotoli cemetery.

In total, 22 people were aboard the yacht, which included both crew and passengers. While 15 individuals successfully evacuated onto a lifeboat as the yacht sank, seven tragically lost their lives, including notable figures such as:

• Mike Lynch, a British tech entrepreneur, and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.
• Chris Morvillo, Lynch’s attorney from New York, alongside his wife Nada.
• Jonathan Bloomer, the president of Morgan Stanley International, and his spouse Anne Elizabeth.
• Thomas Recaldo, the ship’s chef.

This group was reportedly celebrating Lynch’s recent acquittal in a high-profile fraud investigation in the United States. The case revolved around the controversial sale of his software company, Autonomy, to tech giant HP in 2011 for a staggering $11 billion (€9.8 billion). In June, a San Francisco jury found Lynch not guilty of multiple charges, including fraud and conspiracy, stemming from the lengthy investigation.