Overview
- Alexis Trader, 34, is charged with first-degree murder in the Aug. 30, 2025 drowning of charter captain Nabil “Captain Bill” Abzal at Chicago’s DuSable Harbor.
- Cook County Judge John Hock ordered Trader detained pending trial after a hearing Thursday; he was already in custody on an unrelated aggravated battery case.
- Prosecutors say Trader scaled a locked dock gate, let companions in, and struck Abzal as the captain escorted two women off his yacht, causing a head injury and a fall into Lake Michigan.
- Investigators cite surveillance audio and video, a 911 call placed from Trader’s phone under the name “Young James,” witness identifications, and prior DUI bodycam footage to link him to the attack.
- The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide by drowning, and prosecutors highlighted Trader’s pending cases for aggravated battery, burglaries, and a recent DUI; the next court date is set for Feb. 25.