Killer called 911 to report boat captain had fallen into DuSable Harbor, but didn't reveal how he got there, prosecutors say – CWB Chicago

The person accused of killing Nabil “Captain Invoice” Adzal at a downtown boat harbor final summer time first did what you may count on of an informal bystander: He known as 911 to report that somebody had fallen into Lake Michigan after which stayed on the scene to talk with responding cops, prosecutors mentioned Thursday.

Authorities say the 911 caller, Alexis Dealer, had simply punched Adzal, a 63-year-old constitution captain, knocking him backward, putting his head on a steel grate, and sending him into the water at DuSable Harbor within the early morning hours of August 30.

The deadly encounter with Dealer and three companions arriving on the locked entrance to Dock C round 2:43 a.m., mentioned Assistant State’s Lawyer Mike Pekara. Dealer, wearing all black with a hat and glasses, scaled the steel grates on the facet of the gate, hung his physique over open water, and unlocked it from inside to let his companions enter, Pekara mentioned.

Two girls within the group boarded Adzal’s yacht, known as “Gone,” and commenced taking Snapchat images on the again deck whereas the captain slept under. When he woke and found them, he escorted the ladies off the boat and walked them again towards the gate, the place Dealer and one other man have been ready, based on Pekara, who mentioned Adzal was unarmed and made no threats or bodily contact with the ladies.

As Adzal opened the gate, Dealer entered and knocked the captain backward, inflicting his head hit the steel facet grate earlier than he fell into Lake Michigan and sank under the floor, Pekara alleged. Surveillance video captured the sound of the punch, Adzal’s head putting the grate, and him falling into the water.

A fisherman strolling close by heard the splash and spoke with Dealer, who instructed him somebody had fallen into the water and urged he bounce in to assist, Pekara mentioned. Dealer then made a 911 name from his personal cellphone.

Whereas officers searched the water, Dealer allegedly climbed the gate once more and retrieved what seemed to be a pockets from contained in the dock space, pocketing it earlier than leaving in a rideshare.

Chicago Fireplace Division divers recovered Adzal’s physique about 10 minutes after police arrived. Resuscitation efforts failed, and he was pronounced useless on the scene.

Detectives recognized Dealer by surveillance footage, cellphone data from the 911 name, and witness identifications. Two officers who had arrested Dealer for DUI every week earlier than the homicide recognized him from physique digicam footage on the scene, Pekara mentioned. One of many girls who boarded the yacht additionally recognized Dealer to investigators and testified earlier than a grand jury.

He additionally had two pending housebreaking circumstances and a pending aggravated battery case. The battery cost stems from a January 2025 incident during which he allegedly punched a gasoline station clerk within the face as a result of he thought the clerk was taking a look at him, Pekara mentioned. The punch was so forceful that it broke the sufferer’s nostril, and he needed to bear surgical procedure, based on Pekara. The entire housebreaking and aggravated battery fees have been filed after Adzal’s homicide, however Dealer was on pretrial launch for the misdemeanor DUI.

Decide John Hock ordered Dealer detained on the homicide cost. He was already being detained within the aggravated battery case.