A judge ruled today that there was enough evidence for a well-off real estate investor to stand trial on charges he drunkenly slammed his boat into a jetty during a Fourth of July celebration, killing a local baseball coach and injuring several passengers on board.
Long Beach Superior Court Judge Debra A. Cole ruled that Kevin King, 58, would be held to answer for charges of felony vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and operating a watercraft while under the influence. If convicted, King could face up to 13 years in state prison, according to prosecutors.
Authorities allege King was drunk at the helm of his 48-foot sportfishing boat when he crashed into the Alamitos Bay Jetty at more than 20 mph around 9 p.m. on July 3, 2024. The impact, they say, killed local baseball coach John Correa and injured seven others who’d been on a sunset “happy hour” cruise, according to witness testimony.
The hearing was a major turning point in the case, where more than a dozen people — many of whom were King’s guests that night — were now called to testify against him.
“This case has gotten really nasty in this community, considering they were all friends at one time,” Cole said. “It’s a shame.”
In court, King’s defense team argued that he was not intoxicated and also not driving when the boat crashed. In public, true-crime style videos posted on YouTube have made similar arguments — seeking to cast blame elsewhere.
The YouTube videos – comprised of body-worn camera footage, investigative reports and bystander video, which a disclaimer says were collected from public records requests and legal discovery – accuse authorities of a “frame-up.” They argue that first responders changed their story about who was piloting the boat.
It highlights footage of the first rescuer on scene, Marine Safety Officer Devon Beebe, saying she found Correa’s body in front of the steering wheel. In court this week, Beebe said this was a mistake — one she later corrected in her report — because she erroneously thought the steering wheel was on the right side of the boat, as it is in the rescue craft she usually drives.
After Cole’s ruling Wednesday, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Tracy Sims said the set of videos was “purely propaganda” produced by a disbarred attorney.
A legal disclaimer on them bears the name Matthew Fletcher, a former Long Beach-based attorney who lost his license to practice in 2023, after he pleaded guilty to helping rap mogul Marion “Suge” Knight obstruct justice in a murder case pending against him.
Sims alleged the videos were made in an attempt to “sway potential jurors by misrepresenting the evidence.”
King’s defense lawyer, Michael Balmer, said he did not know who produced the YouTube series or how they accessed body-camera footage and other video that would be handed over to attorneys in discovery but not typically released to the public.
In court, Balmer repeatedly pressed witnesses about whether they were sure King was drinking alcohol or if he was driving during the crash.
One witness, Rebecca Lury said she had brought two bottles of tequila for a “margarita making contest.”
In her testimony on Wednesday, Lury recalled making King a rum and Coke before the boat took off. On Tuesday, Sarah Cameron – another passenger – also said she made King a rum and Coke during the trip. A police officer also testified that King admitted to drinking two glasses of wine.
Months after the crash, investigators obtained a search warrant for King’s medical records from the hospital where he was treated after the wreck. They showed he had a blood-alcohol content of .152%, said Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Aaron Fletcher.
Balmer fought to have those results thrown out, saying they didn’t factor in the severe amount of blood King lost that night, potentially raising the alcohol concentration.
He also repeatedly accused the boat passengers of changing their stories and implied they had ulterior motives because of a pending civil lawsuit that could hold King liable for some of their injuries.
Cole denied Balmer’s motion to suppress the blood evidence before ruling that the case had enough evidence to go to trial.
King remains out of custody on bail. He’s due back in court for arraignment on Jan. 7, 2026. No trial date has been set.