The missing New York lawyer addressed his daughters in a lengthy LinkedIn post published sometime before the yacht tragedy. Additionally, those who know him and his jeweler wife, who is also missing, have spoken out.
In the aftermath of the Bayesian superyacht accident, more details have come to light. Among the six people who are missing after the yacht sank off the coast of Sicily are New York City attorney Christopher Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo. Months before the tragedy, Christopher made a post on LinkedIn, in which he penned a message to his two daughters.
Neda and Christopher Morvillo at the Summer Birthday Cocktails For Lawrence Kaplan event in New York City on June 21, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
The expensive superyacht sank in the early hours of Monday morning, August 19, after an extreme storm. Search and rescue efforts have been underway since the accident.
A rescue boat of the Italian Coast Guards operates in Porticello near Palermo (near the area where the Bayesian yacht sank) on August 20, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
However, reports state that investigators, unfortunately, are now presuming the missing victims are dead at this stage. They believe this to be the case because, reportedly, the six were trapped on the yacht as it became submerged underwater.
Rescue boats operate off Porticello on August 20, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
A spokesperson for the law firm Clifford Chance, where Christopher works, recently shared a statement about their colleague and his wife, expressing how sad and shocked they are.
"Our thoughts are with our Partner, Christopher Morvillo, and his wife Neda who are among the missing, and with their families," expressed the spokesperson.
Neda and Christopher Morvillo posing for a picture with a guest named Leann Graeff at the Summer Birthday Cocktails For Lawrence Kaplan event in New York City on June 21, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
A mere two months before the Bayesian yacht tragedy, Christopher shared an extensive post on his LinkedIn account. The post was made in celebration of a law case verdict victory that Christopher and his partners managed to achieve.
Christopher Morvillo posing for a picture with fellow Clifford Chance partners, Edward C. O'Callaghan, and David B. Raskin, in New York on December 21, 2011 | Source: Getty Images
After spotlighting all the people who helped him and his client win the case, Christopher acknowledged his beloved wife, Neda, and daughters, Sabrina and Sophia Morvillo, at the end of his post.
Sabrina and Sophia Morvillo posing for a picture, posted on July 14, 2021 | Source: Instagram/sabrina.morvillo
"And, finally, a huge thank you to my patient and incredible wife, Neda Morvillo, and my two strong, brilliant, and beautiful daughters [...] None of this would have been possible without your love and support. I am so glad to be home. And they all lived happily ever after," penned the doting husband and dad.
With Christopher's extensive experience and background in representing individual and corporate clients in internal investigations, white-collar government investigations, and civil proceedings, he managed to acquit his client.
Aside from his recent representations in cases involving insider trading, securities fraud, accounting fraud, trade secret theft, and the like, Christopher has served as an Assistant US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Christopher Morvillo posing for a picture with fellow Clifford Chance partners, Edward C. O'Callaghan, and David B. Raskin, in New York on December 21, 2011 | Source: Getty Images
On the other hand, the Fordham University School of Law (JD) graduate's wife, Neda, is a successful jeweler in New York City. She has her own jewelry brand called Neda Nassiri, under which she sells hand-crafted fine jewelry made in her New York City studio.
According to her website's About page, Neda has been designing and hand-crafting jewelry for more than two decades.
"Often, Neda incorporates precious or semi-precious stones in her work, and some of her work features granulation or classical loop-in-loop chains, reflecting the inspiration of ancient Egyptian, Greek, Persian, and Roman jewelry," reads a snippet of her bio.
Neda Morvillo posing for a picture with guests at the Summer Birthday Cocktails For Lawrence Kaplan event in New York City on June 21, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
The New York jewelry designer trained and honed her skills under the tutelage of master goldsmith Cecelia Bauer. Like Christopher's law firm spokesperson, Cecelia recently spoke about her missing mentee.
According to a media outlet, Cecelia revealed that she had been in touch with Neda mere days before the Bayesian yacht tragedy. She had invited her protege to a luncheon, along with other jewelers, on the fateful day the yacht sank (Monday).
Italian police and fire service dive teams, and Guardia di Finanza at the Bayesian dive site off the coast of Porticello, Sicily on August 21, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
While some officials are still clinging to the hope that the missing six are keeping themselves alive with pockets of air 160 ft below the water's surface, Cecelia believes otherwise.
"I'm totally shocked. I'm devastated because I can't believe she's one of the missing. It doesn't look good…I would find it hard to believe that anyone has survived this long," expressed the mentor.
An Italian fire service diving crew surface at their rigid inflatable boat (RiB) from the dive site off the coast of Porticello, Sicily on August 21, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Like Cecelia, many others who have been impacted by the yacht tragedy are also devastated. Among such people include Angela Bacares—the wife of the British billionaire whom Christopher managed to get acquitted, Mike Lynch.
Mike Lynch posing for a picture in London, England on July 8, 2014 | Source: Getty Images
Mike and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch, are part of the group of missing people. Recently, Angela shared her account of what happened on the day the Bayesian superyacht sank. She did so while continuing to wait for an update on the whereabouts of her husband and daughter.
Angela, who is in a wheelchair after having to walk on broken glass to escape the sinking $18 million (£14 million) yacht, recounted how she and Mike were woken up after feeling an unsteady shift onboard.
She told La Repubblica that they were stirred awake at 4 am on Monday, August 19, after she felt a "slight tilt" right before chaos ensued.
A photo of another boat named Sir Robert Baden Powell in the same location where the Bayesian superyacht sunk in Porticello near Palermo, taken on August 20, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Initially, Angela and Mike were not fearful or worried. However, that soon changed after she got up from bed to investigate and was startled by the sound of glass shattering, which then prompted panic.
Rescue boats seen off the coast of Porticello near Palermo on August 20, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
About an hour after Angela and Mike had woken up (5 am local time), the superyacht sank after the mast collapsed and the boat capsized. Reports state that there were a total of 22 passengers onboard.
Italian emergency services headed out to sea towards the area off the Sicilian coast where the Bayesian superyacht sunk, taken on August 20, 2024. | Source: Getty Images
Speaking to another outlet, Angela recounted how "everything was falling" around her. Adding to the intense fear she felt at that moment is the fact that she said she was nearly "carried away" before she managed to make it out to safety.
Italian emergency services prepare to head toward the area off the Sicilian coast, taken on August 20, 2024. | Source: Getty Images
According to another outlet, since Angela's narrow escape, she and other survivors of the yacht tragedy have been receiving assistance from a team of Palermo Health Authority and civil protection psychologists.
The survivors have also been given accommodation at the Domina Zagarella Hotel. Angela had been transferred to the hotel after receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Termini Imerese.
The yacht accident comes after Mike was extradited from the UK to the US in 2023, where he was under house arrest. A profile on the father of two from 2024 reveals he spent 13 months under house arrest in San Francisco while waiting for his trial on 17 conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
Mike Lynch leaving a court hearing in London, England on March 25, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
The charges were brought against him by the US Department of Justice and were later reduced to 15 charges. Mike, who has an estimated net worth of over $6 million (£500 million), would have faced 25 years in a US prison if he was convicted.
Mike Lynch speaking at The Times CEO summit in London, England on June 21, 2011 | Source: Getty Images
This picture painted a very grim reality for Mike, especially given the fact that he has medical issues. "I have various medical things that would have made it difficult to survive," Mike previously disclosed.
Mike Lynch at the Economist Bellwether Europe conference in London, England on April 25, 2013 | Source: Getty Images
While Mike managed to avoid jail time, he now faces another crisis, which is quite literally a matter of life and death, as he and his daughter are still missing.
We extend our prayers to Angela during this difficult time as she waits for positive news concerning her loved ones. Our deepest condolences and prayers also go out to the Morvillo family and others impacted by this horrific tragedy.
