A Father’s Unthinkable Request: After Losing His Two Children, He Asked the Court to Release Their Grandfather

BichDuong
September 1, 2026

A Father’s Unthinkable Request: After Losing His Two Children, He Asked the Court to Release Their Grandfather

The story of Mya Bella Golabek, 9, and her younger brother, Sigmund Paul Golabek, 7, has left a New Jersey family facing an unimaginable loss. But the legal proceedings that followed their deaths have brought another deeply emotional moment into focus: their parents asked a judge to release the children’s grandfather, Stephen Schneider, while he awaits trial.

According to reports from U.S. news organizations, the children’s parents submitted letters supporting Schneider’s release. During a detention hearing on August 19, 2026, Schneider’s attorney, William P. Cunningham, read from a letter written by the children’s father, Sigmund Golabek. The letter described Schneider not simply as a defendant in a criminal case, but as a beloved member of the family who had played an important role in the children’s lives. (New Jersey 101.5)

The request is particularly striking because Schneider is facing charges connected to the July 19 boating incident on Barnegat Bay that claimed the lives of Mya and Sigmund.

A Family Evening That Turned Into Tragedy

The incident happened in Bayville, in Berkeley Township, New Jersey, after the two families had spent time together for dinner.

According to court-related reporting, Mya and Sigmund wanted to travel home with their grandparents. They boarded a boat operated by their grandfather, Stephen Schneider, while their parents traveled separately.

The boat was a Tidewater Custom 280 measuring roughly 30 feet. At around 9 p.m., authorities say it struck a channel marker in Barnegat Bay.

The collision threw the two children into the water. Reports say both were wearing life jackets. Their grandparents pulled them from the water and attempted emergency measures before they were transported to a local hospital. Despite those efforts, the siblings could not be saved. (AOL.com)

For their parents, the tragedy meant losing their only two children.

Mya was nine years old. Sigmund was seven.

News reports and accounts surrounding the family have emphasized the close bond between the siblings, who were remembered as deeply connected to one another. Their story has since become one of the most painful chapters of a summer marked by several boating tragedies on Barnegat Bay.

Charges Against Their Grandfather

Stephen Schneider, 64, was subsequently charged in connection with the incident.

Prosecutors allege that alcohol impairment played a significant role in the crash. New Jersey 101.5 reported that prosecutors said Schneider’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.16 after the crash, twice New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08. News 12 also reported the same figure while describing the prosecution’s position. (New Jersey 101.5)

According to court reporting, Schneider had told investigators he had consumed three beers during dinner.

The charges include reckless vessel homicide, operating a vessel under the influence and reckless operation of a vessel. The case remains unresolved, and Schneider has not been convicted of the allegations against him. (News 12 – Default)

That distinction is important as the legal process continues.

The prosecution argued that Schneider should remain in custody while awaiting trial, pointing to the seriousness of the allegations and the reported blood alcohol level. Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Kate Burke characterized the situation as a serious public-safety concern. (New Jersey 101.5)

But the defense presented a very different side of Schneider’s story.

The Father’s Letter

Inside the courtroom, the most emotional moment came when Schneider’s attorney read from a letter written by Sigmund Golabek, the father of the two children.

Rather than asking for Schneider to remain behind bars, the children’s parents asked the judge to allow him to return home while the case proceeds.

The letter portrayed Schneider as someone who had consistently supported the family.

According to New Jersey 101.5, the father described him as a “wonderful father-in-law,” a “loving grandfather,” and a man with a generous heart. He also expressed gratitude for the love Schneider had shown his children and for the role he had played in their lives. (New Jersey 101.5)

News 12 similarly reported that the letter described Schneider as a devoted grandfather and emphasized his importance to the family. (News 12 – Default)

The request reveals an extraordinarily complicated reality of grief.

For most parents, losing a child is already almost impossible to comprehend. Losing two children at the same time is an even greater burden. Yet in this case, the person facing criminal charges is also someone the family had loved for years.

The father’s letter suggests that those feelings did not simply disappear after the tragedy.

A Difficult Decision for the Court

Judge Wendel Daniels ultimately granted Schneider release pending trial.

According to News 12, the judge considered factors including Schneider’s lack of a significant recent criminal history and the fact that the children’s own parents were asking for his release. (News 12 – Default)

New Jersey 101.5 reported that Schneider was released under Level 3 conditions. He is prohibited from operating a vessel or motor vehicle while the court evaluates the case and his circumstances. His attorney also said Schneider had decided to give up alcohol and would never operate a boat again. (New Jersey 101.5)

His next court date is scheduled for September 15, 2026. (New Jersey 101.5)

The release does not resolve the criminal case. It simply allows Schneider to await the next stages of the proceedings outside jail, under court-ordered conditions.

A Story About Grief, Family and Forgiveness

What makes this case so difficult to understand is that there are no simple emotions.

There is grief.

There are unanswered questions.

There is a criminal prosecution.

And there is also a family relationship that existed long before the tragedy.

Mya and Sigmund were not simply names in a courtroom filing. They were children with parents, grandparents and a sibling bond. Their parents are now being forced to navigate a legal process while carrying the loss of both children.

At the same time, their grandfather is facing serious charges arising from the incident.

The decision by the parents to ask for his release has attracted attention precisely because it is so unusual. It demonstrates that grief can coexist with love, and that a family’s feelings toward someone can be far more complicated than a courtroom charge might suggest.

Nothing in the parents’ letter changes the allegations against Schneider, and nothing about his release determines the eventual outcome of the case. Those questions will be decided through the legal process.

For now, however, the family is left with memories of two young siblings whose lives ended far too soon.

The case will continue in court, but behind every hearing and every legal argument is a family trying to move forward after a loss that cannot be undone.

Mya and Sigmund will remain at the heart of the story—not only because of what happened on Barnegat Bay, but because of the lives they shared with the people who loved them.

Foreign / U.S. Sources

Note: This article summarizes publicly reported allegations and court proceedings. Stephen Schneider is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.