FBI Investigates Disappearance of Two Florida Injury Lawyers During Fishing Trip

Two South Florida injury attorneys, one a former insurance defense counsel, remain missing after their fishing boat was discovered southwest of Naples with the engine still running. The FBI has joined the investigation into the disappearance of Randall Spivey, 57, a prominent lawyer in Fort Myers, and his nephew, 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier, from Boca Raton, as reported by various news outlets.

Spivey led his own firm, specializing in injury and wrongful death cases, while Billmaier was affiliated with the Shiner Law Group. Billmaier’s background includes previous roles as in-house counsel for an insurance carrier and at a large defense firm, according to the Shiner Law website.

The two men set out for a fishing trip on the morning of December 19 from the Fort Myers area, with plans to return that evening. When they failed to check in, their wives alerted the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard, along with dozens of volunteers, initiated a search over a vast area off southwest Florida.

By midnight Saturday, the Coast Guard located the boat, named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” approximately 70 miles off the Naples coast. While two life jackets were missing, the men were nowhere to be found. Billmaier’s wife reported that Coast Guard officials speculated that one of the men may have fallen into the water, prompting the other to jump in after him, unaware that the motor was still running, as noted by the U.S. Sun and Gulf Coast News Now.

The Coast Guard suspended the search on Monday evening, raising concerns and questions about the circumstances surrounding their disappearance. The unusual nature of the case, combined with the FBI’s involvement, has sparked widespread speculation on social media, with some suggesting potential foul play or foreign interests.

Spivey earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and his law degree from Loyola University. He was board-certified in civil trial law and a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, recognized for achieving significant jury verdicts over the past two decades, as highlighted on his firm’s website.

In 2013, Florida’s 2^nd District Court of Appeal upheld a $3 million verdict against State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance after a schoolteacher was severely injured in a car crash. The teacher sought the $2 million policy limit on his underinsured motorist policy, but State Farm initially offered only $190,000, as reported by the Naples Daily News.

Billmaier, originally from Ohio, obtained both his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Toledo. Following graduation, he spent several years working for an insurance company and later for a prominent insurance defense law firm, as noted on the Shiner Law Group’s website.

In a statement, the Shiner Law Group expressed their sadness over the disappearance, emphasizing that Billmaier is a valued member of the firm and a skilled lawyer, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Top photo: The Naples shoreline (AdobeStock)

Topics
Florida

Two South Florida injury attorneys, one a former insurance defense counsel, remain missing after their fishing boat was discovered southwest of Naples with the engine still running. The FBI has joined the investigation into the disappearance of Randall Spivey, 57, a prominent lawyer in Fort Myers, and his nephew, 33-year-old Brandon Billmaier, from Boca Raton, as reported by various news outlets.

Spivey led his own firm, specializing in injury and wrongful death cases, while Billmaier was affiliated with the Shiner Law Group. Billmaier’s background includes previous roles as in-house counsel for an insurance carrier and at a large defense firm, according to the Shiner Law website.

The two men set out for a fishing trip on the morning of December 19 from the Fort Myers area, with plans to return that evening. When they failed to check in, their wives alerted the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard, along with dozens of volunteers, initiated a search over a vast area off southwest Florida.

By midnight Saturday, the Coast Guard located the boat, named “Unstopp-A-Bull,” approximately 70 miles off the Naples coast. While two life jackets were missing, the men were nowhere to be found. Billmaier’s wife reported that Coast Guard officials speculated that one of the men may have fallen into the water, prompting the other to jump in after him, unaware that the motor was still running, as noted by the U.S. Sun and Gulf Coast News Now.

The Coast Guard suspended the search on Monday evening, raising concerns and questions about the circumstances surrounding their disappearance. The unusual nature of the case, combined with the FBI’s involvement, has sparked widespread speculation on social media, with some suggesting potential foul play or foreign interests.

Spivey earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and his law degree from Loyola University. He was board-certified in civil trial law and a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, recognized for achieving significant jury verdicts over the past two decades, as highlighted on his firm’s website.

In 2013, Florida’s 2^nd District Court of Appeal upheld a $3 million verdict against State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance after a schoolteacher was severely injured in a car crash. The teacher sought the $2 million policy limit on his underinsured motorist policy, but State Farm initially offered only $190,000, as reported by the Naples Daily News.

Billmaier, originally from Ohio, obtained both his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Toledo. Following graduation, he spent several years working for an insurance company and later for a prominent insurance defense law firm, as noted on the Shiner Law Group’s website.

In a statement, the Shiner Law Group expressed their sadness over the disappearance, emphasizing that Billmaier is a valued member of the firm and a skilled lawyer, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Top photo: The Naples shoreline (AdobeStock)

Topics
Florida