A man has been charged with the murder of a beloved Chicago charter boat captain, six months after the attack during the Labour Day weekend. Alexis Trader, 34, was charged with first-degree murder on Thursday in connection with the death of Nabil Abzal, 63, known as “Captain Bill” at DuSable Harbor.
Prosecutors say that on 30 August 2025, Trader climbed a locked dock gate and let a man and two women onto the pier. Surveillance footage showed the group entering around 2:45 a.m. When the women boarded Abzal’s yacht, named “Gone”, and began taking photos, the captain confronted them. He escorted them off the boat and toward the gate, where Trader allegedly struck him. Abzal hit his head on a metal part of the gate, fell into the water and sank.
A nearby fisherman heard the splash and was told by Trader that someone had fallen in and needed rescue. Trader also called 911 but gave a false name and did not disclose striking the victim. Police divers recovered Abzal’s body ten minutes later; an autopsy ruled his death a homicide by drowning.
The investigation found blunt wraps and vapes on the boat, and detectives later identified Trader from body-worn camera footage of a DUI arrest a week earlier. Trader was already in custody on an unrelated aggravated battery case. His criminal history includes burglaries, attempted burglaries and armed robbery.
In court, defence lawyer Scott Kozicki claimed no one directly witnessed the strike and argued Trader stayed to help. However, prosecutors argued his actions showed recklessness and deception. Judge Hock noted the violent punch and ordered Trader held in jail pending trial, with a next court date on 25 February.
Abzal’s death devastated his family and the boating community. His wife Laura said he was careful and safety-conscious, and had fallen in love with boating decades ago. “He loved [Chicago] and he loved [Lake Michigan],” she said. “He never met someone who wasn’t a friend.”
