Man, rescued at sea with stolen gold coins, will likely plead guilty in wife's disappearance

A man who has maintained his innocence in the disappearance of his wife during their May 2017 honeymoon at sea now is expected to plead guilty to manslaughter. 

Lewis Bennett, who holds Australian and British citizenship but lived in Florida with his wife, is scheduled to change his not-guilty plea at a Monday hearing. He was previously charged with second-degree murder in the disappearance of his newlywed wife Isabella Hellmann, 41, and apparently has reached a plea deal in the case.

Bennett was found by rescuers in a life raft alone after sending a distress signal several hours previously. 

Court records show he had hundreds of gold and silver coins in his possession, the Sun Sentinel reports. He later pleaded guilty to stealing more than $40,000 in coins while working as a sailor in the Caribbean in 2016, the publication reports. 

Bennett and Hellmann honeymooned at sea in their catamaran three months after their marriage. While they were near the Bahamas, the craft hit something during the night, Bennett told his rescuers.

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Bennett said he awoke alone, having left Hellmann on the deck earlier. He said he could not find her and abandoned the sinking boat in a life raft alone.

The Coast Guard successfully located the sunken catamaran after searching for a week. Hellmann was not located. 

Citing court records, the Sun Sentinel reports the couple faced property tax and credit card debt. They also disagreed about which country they should settle in with their daughter, the paper reports.

A Boca Raton police report says Hellmann's sister accused Bennett of killing his wife in a heated confrontation at Hellmann's parent's house. That confrontation, which happened 16 days after her disappearance, was sparked as Bennett was attempting to pick up his daughter.

After traveling between multiple countries, Bennett asked a Florida court to declare his wife dead, giving him control of her possessions, including a condominium. That petition was rejected by a judge.

Bennett was charged with his wife's death while serving a seven-month sentence in connection with the stolen coins. A charge of involuntary manslaughter could carry an eight-year sentence and deportation.

Contributing: The Associated Press.