Crime & Safety

Lanier Boating Deaths Trial: Bennett Asked, 'What Can I Do?'

Defense testimony begins in the Hall County trial of Paul Bennett.

The woman on board a boat with Paul Bennett on the night of a fatal 2012 Lake Lanier boating crash testified Monday (Nov. 11) in Hall County about his actions during and immediately after the incident.

According to the Gainesville Times, Bennett asked, " 'What can I do? What can I do?' 

“I heard them screaming a lot, saying they needed help,” Amy Lynn Harris testified Monday.

Bennett, of Cumming, is on trial in connection with the June 2012 boating crash that killed Griffin Prince, 13, and Jake Prince, 9, of Buford. Charges include homicide by vessel, boating under the influence and failure to render aid.

Harris said she was in a diabetic emergency that required that she and Bennett return to Bennett’s houseboat, to which their fishing boat had been en route before the crash.

“My blood sugar started dropping 45 minutes to one hour after the incident,” Harris testified. “I sweat; I shake; I become dizzy. I had it all — I felt like I was going to pass out.”

Bennett's defense has contended that the crash was an accident, not a crime. The prosecution concluded its case last week; the trial is expected to conclude this week.

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Lead prosecutor Lee Darragh asked questions about Harris’ and Bennett’s actions on the night, according to the Times.

“We’ve never been in this situation,” Harris said. “You don’t know what to do until after it happens.”

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