Inset: Douglas Naeher (Manatee County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Douglas Naeher’s home at 505 58th Street in Holmes Beach, Fla., where he and his wife set off Sunday in his boat before he tried killing her, cops say (Google Maps).
A Florida man “irate” over his fishing line snapping allegedly took his anger out on his wife while the two of them were over 30 miles from shore on his boat, untying a rope the woman was holding as she floated in the ocean, and then beating her severely when she kept trying to get back on, cops say.
“I’m going to f—ing kill you!” shouted Douglas Naeher while attempting to do just that to his wife on July 20, according to police.
The 60-year-old is charged with attempted first-degree murder for allegedly trying to kill the woman, who has not been publicly named, while the two of them were on a Sunday morning fishing trip, according to an arrest affidavit filed by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.
Naeher and his wife allegedly set off around 7 a.m. on his 30-foot Sterling “center console boat” from the dock outside their residence in Holmes Beach, per court documents. The couple has been married for three years and together for six.
“On the way to their destination, the victim noticed that the defendant’s demeanor seemed off, as he was not as talkative as usual and appeared to be angry,” the affidavit alleged. “Once they reached their destination, 33 miles off the coast of Bean Point, the defendant started fishing.”
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As he was casting from a “bean bag chair,” Naeher allegedly snapped his line and became “irate while fishing.” His wife decided to get in the water “to avoid an altercation” with him, the affidavit says.
While floating on a pool noodle and clutching a rope tied to the boat, the woman allegedly watched Naeher untie her from the vessel and “put it in gear,” according to the sheriff’s office. She later told cops it felt like Naeher was “leaving her out there to die” and that she believed he only decided to come back for her after spotting another boat out in the distance that appeared to be heading their way.
“When the victim climbed into the boat, the defendant began repeatedly punching her on the right side of her head,” the affidavit says. “He then stomped on her head with both feet numerous times. While getting punched and stomped on, the victim stated she went in and out of consciousness.”
The woman told cops she “pretended to be dead” and “tried to slow her breathing” to save her own life. Once Naeher stopped hitting her, he allegedly dragged her by her hair to the rear of the boat and into the water, according to the affidavit. “The defendant then placed both hands around the victim’s throat attempting to strangle and drown her in the water,” the document charges.
It was here when Naeher allegedly told his wife he was “going to f—ing kill” her as she gasped for air and tried to stay afloat. Naeher left the woman in the water and tried leaving, but she refused to quit fighting for her life, according to police.
“The victim was able to interlock her feet around the ladder at the rear of the vessel and hold on,” the affidavit says. “The defendant dragged the victim behind the boat for a short time. The victim was fighting to stay above the water. She believes the defendant tried to leave her and didn’t realize she was hanging on.”
Thinking he was in the clear, Naeher allegedly stopped the boat while his wife pulled her “battered” body back on once again using the boat’s back ladder. He eventually noticed she was behind him and “shoved her overboard” again, police said.
“The victim saw a rope dangling from the rear of the boat and wrapped it around her right ankle just before the defendant started to drive away a second time,” the affidavit recounts. Naeher’s wife pulled herself back aboard a third time as he was pulling back in toward their dock and jumped off the boat before he could get ahold of her again, police say.
Naeher’s wife suffered a concussion and multiple contusions as a result of his alleged attacks. Naeher was being held on Thursday without bond.
