Murder and Arson Rock the Cruising Community

What began as a bitter personal dispute ended in a catastrophic arson and double homicide that shook the southeastern U.S. cruising community. The owner of a Great Harbour trawler lost his wife and eventually the vessel in a contentious split. Investigators believe the situation escalated into a lethal crime that left two people dead and a beloved boat destroyed.

According to law enforcement, in the early morning hours of August 13, David Trauger, 67, allegedly put on dark clothing, took a skiff to an anchorage on the St. Marys River in southeast Georgia, and went aboard the Great Harbour trawler known as Premium Time. Authorities suspect he murdered his ex-wife, Karen Barnes, and a male friend who had been assisting her, then set the vessel ablaze. The flames reportedly lit the night “like rocket motors,” and the fire burned so intensely that the remains inside were severely charred.

Local responders managed to tow the trawler to the nearby St. Marys Boat Yard, where firefighters extinguished the blaze after it had consumed the boat down to the rubrail. Investigators later recovered charred remains and fragments of two skeletons from the wreckage as part of an ongoing homicide and arson inquiry. Two days after the incident, Trauger died from a gunshot wound inflicted during an encounter with law enforcement; officials described the shooting as a likely “suicide by cop.”

Background: A Cruising Life Turns Troubled

Trauger had a successful career in insurance and named his 2007 Great Harbour 37 trawler Premium Time. He met Karen Barnes through an online dating service; they married on New Year’s Eve 2009. For several seasons they cruised with other Great Harbour owners and spent winters in the Abacos, where their relationship began to deteriorate.

Fellow cruisers described Trauger as prone to mood swings, excessive drinking, and volatile jealousy. The relationship frayed while the couple wintered with friends in the Bahamas. A late-night drunken altercation on the docks reportedly left Barnes with a broken arm and prompted dock neighbors to intervene. Barnes later returned to Georgia, and Trauger followed, attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings as the couple tried to reconcile.

The couple’s troubles continued. In March of a later year, Trauger transferred the boat’s federal documentation to Barnes. Soon after, they divorced and Barnes resumed her maiden name. Trauger’s attorney later said the transfer had been intended as a temporary measure to protect the vessel from a financial claim by Trauger’s previous wife, and the couple had planned to remarry—plans that never came to pass.

Escalation and Separation

Neighbors and friends say Barnes relocated the trawler to St. Marys to distance herself from Trauger. A local marine technician, Larry Ford, 71, reportedly helped her move the boat and is believed to have been aboard with Barnes at the time of the fire. Friends describe Ford as a helpful, well-liked West Marine employee who assisted a woman in distress.

Barnes had filed a police report alleging Trauger was bipolar, off his medication, and stalking her. Trauger, for his part, claimed he had been duped into transferring ownership and sought legal counsel to regain the vessel. He returned from a trip to Pennsylvania to find the boat’s locks changed, and a hearing was scheduled for August 14 to address a petition that could have affected the boat’s ownership.

Investigation Details and Unanswered Questions

At press time investigators were reconstructing the sequence of events from charred remains, witness accounts, and physical evidence. One key question is whether the suspect entered the cabin and shot the victims before starting the blaze, or whether the fire was set from the exterior and the victims were unable to escape. The builder of the Great Harbour line told investigators it would be difficult to ignite the boat from the outside and noted the vessel’s fire-suppression system could only be disabled from inside, suggesting interior access was likely.

Video shot at St. Marys Boat Yard during the blaze shows intense flames and vents that appeared to burn like rocket exhaust, leading some experts to conclude the interior had been saturated with an accelerant. Authorities reported finding brass shell casings in the ashes, which supports the theory that the victims may have been shot before the fire was set. Fire investigators estimated temperatures reached between 2,000 and 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the fire.

The 911 call made from Barnes’ cell phone was recorded as an open line, with nonverbal sounds captured but no coherent exchange with dispatchers. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation continued to gather forensic results and witness statements; a final investigative report was not yet available at the time of coverage.

Impact on the Cruising Community

The violent loss of life and of Premium Time reverberated through the Great Harbour Trawler Association, marinas in Georgia, and among cruising circles in the Bahamas. Friends and fellow boaters who had once cruised with the couple expressed shock that personal disputes had culminated in such deadly violence. Many also raised questions about mental health, substance abuse, and the vulnerabilities that can accompany ownership and living aboard substantial cruising vessels.

Authorities continue to treat the case as an active homicide and arson investigation, piecing together physical evidence and eyewitness accounts to establish a definitive timeline.

October 2012 issue.