Bradenton man accused of dragging wife behind boat seeks December murder trial

A Florida court has yet to set a trial date for Douglas Scott Naeher, 61, charged with attempted murder after allegedly dragging his wife behind a boat off Anna Maria Island.

Trial date for Anna Maria Island attempted murder case remains unresolved

Google News MT — Crime (en) reports that a trial date for Douglas Scott Naeher, 61, has yet to be determined following a case management conference Thursday in Bradenton, Florida.

Naeher faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and felony battery after allegedly beating, stomping, and dragging his wife behind a boat approximately 33 miles off Bean Point, Anna Maria Island, on 20 July 2025. He also faces a robbery charge for allegedly taking the victim's phone during the incident. Naeher has entered a plea of not guilty and remains in custody without bond.

His defence lawyers requested a December trial date, while prosecutors said they had prepared witnesses for a September hearing — leaving the schedule unresolved.

Judge Frederick Mercurio set a further conference for 8 October to fix a trial date and address outstanding matters. At Thursday's hearing, Mercurio granted two state motions: one restricting certain evidence unless accompanied by expert testimony, and another limiting defence evidence unless Naeher formally raises a self-defence claim.

The judge must also rule on testimony from a domestic violence trauma expert. Under the current order, the expert may testify on trauma and memory but is barred from offering opinions on the relationship or the crime itself.

The ruling follows July proceedings in which the defence challenged the admissibility of boat GPS tracking data, a witness's testimony, and the separate robbery charge connected to the victim's cellphone.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)