TAMPA, Fla. — The two remaining suspects in the infamous shark-dragging case will have another couple months to decide how they want to plead.
- Court appearance for shark-dragging suspects pushed back to October
- Wildlife officials investigated the shark-dragging video
- Video shows shark being dragged behind fast-moving boat
In court Tuesday, defense attorneys for suspects Michael Wenzel and Robert Benac requested another disposition date. The men's defense attorneys did the same thing when they appeared in court in June.
Wenzel and Benac are accused of dragging a shark behind their speeding boat and capturing the incident on video.
Wolfe pushed the court date to Oct. 15 at 9 a.m., adding that the suspects will need to enter a plea or have a trial date set. Neither man was in attendance Tuesday.
A Hillsborough County judge dropped charges against the third suspect in May. Judge Mark Wolfe dismissed charges against Spencer Heintz, 23, of Palmetto.
All three had been charged with various animal cruelty charges.
In the video widely circulated starting in July 2017, the group of men could be seen on a boat, smiling, laughing and pointing at the shark as it flails in the wake behind a fast-moving boat.
That led to an FWC investigation and charges being filed.