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[Dalek]

Utah woman killed on Alaska cruise was slain during murder mystery dinner show

When passengers aboard the Emerald Princess cruise heard the first in a string of announcements regarding a death on the ship, some simply thought it was part of the show.

Kristy Manzanares, 39, was found in her cabin with a severe head wound Tuesday, following a ”domestic dispute" around 9 p.m., authorities said. She was pronounced dead 20 minutes later.

Others aboard the cruise, meanwhile, were being entertained by a ”Murder Mystery" dinner show elsewhere on the ship, traveling through Alaska waters, CBS reported.

Their revelry, however, was interrupted by a troubling announcement requesting urgent assistance from medical and security teams. Passenger Vic Simpson recalled the casual response from those enjoying the dinner show, most of them under the impression that it was simply meant to enhance the evening's entertainment.

”Because they were doing a murder mystery theater about death on a cruise ship, most people thought it was just part of the dramatic effect of what they were doing," he told Inside Edition.

Confusion surrounding the matter devolved into concern, and the cruise liner was diverted to Juneau hours ahead of schedule.

The ship was placed on lockdown for hours as the FBI investigated. Some were restricted to their cabins, while others were free to walk about, but not leave the ship. Passengers were eventually allowed to disembark around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.

After hundreds of interviews, officials filed murder charges against Manzanares' husband, Kenneth Manzanares, Thursday afternoon.

In the arrest affidavit, a witness identified as only D.H. recalled entering the cabin where the incident took place and asking Kenneth what unfolded in the blood-covered room.

”She wouldn't stop laughing at me," he responded, before attempting to drag his wife's body over to the ship's balcony. When a security officer arrived minutes later, he cuffed Kenneth Manzanares after spotting blood on his shirt and hands.

A federal judge Thursday afternoon appointed a public defender for the murder suspect. He dabbed his eyes and nose with a tissue, crying, ahead of his appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin F. McCoy via teleconference from Juneau.

The couple had taken the cruise to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary and their teenage daughters were with them on the vacation, their neighbors, Nicole and Brice Beckstrom, told CBS.

”To find out that it was her was shocking," Nicole said.

 

[HStallion]

He killed her for laughing and then tries to cry. Fucking crocodile tears

 

[Fat4all]

what a psycho

 

[sixteen-bit]

That's a fucked up story

 

[sikkinixx]

Seems like domestic fight, dude lost it. Should have thrown himself overboard and saved everyone, and himself, the trouble. Enjoy prison for the rest of your days dude.

The worst thing is now he's wrecked his kids' lives too.

 

[Dan]

The couple had taken the cruise to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary and their teenage daughters were with them on the vacation, their neighbors, Nicole and Brice Beckstrom, told CBS.

Jesus. Good luck to them, hope they end up with some support and a stable environment.

 

[takriel]

But yeah, an awful was to go.

 

[Emulated Hype]

The title reads like an episode of Castle.

 

[studyguy]

Pretty sparse on details why but a wife laughing at him being the trigger to murder sounds like something a crazy person would say.

 

[hypernima]

Pretty sparse on details why but a wife laughing at him being the trigger to murder sounds like something a crazy person would say.

“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”
- Margaret Atwood.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.”
- Margaret Atwood.

That quote couldn't be more on point. Jesus fucking christ, that poor woman and her poor kids...

 

[Lambtron]

That quote couldn't be more on point. Jesus fucking christ, that poor woman and her poor kids...

That's the real news in this story.

 

[NastyBook]

Pretty sparse on details why but a wife laughing at him being the trigger to murder sounds like something a crazy person would say.

Pride is a motherfucker.

 

[SpaceWolf]

Do the FBI usually involve themselves in these kind of cases?

 

[Thatonemoor]

Am I the only one wondering how he decapitated her? Like that seems to be an important detail.

 

[Billy_Pilgrim]

Love a fucked up boat murder/mystery story.

This is one my favourites.

Disney worker disappears, nothing is done about it

 

[norm9]

Wow. The other passengers must have been so confused. Any other potential murdering spouses missed out on the perfect time to throw their wives overboard.

If I was a passenger, I'd keep thinking I was being pranked.

 

[jstevenson]

Do the FBI usually involve themselves in these kind of cases?

the ship was off in US territorial waters not controlled by any specific state, as such, it's the Coast Guard / FBI jurisdiction.

 

[perfectchaos007]

Wow 18 years of marriage and he kills her because she was laughing at him? How did that relationship survive that long? Did the man forget to bring his medication on the cruise and had a chemical imbalance that made him snap?

 

[mjc]

Am I the only one wondering how he decapitated her? Like that seems to be an important detail.

Wait he decapitated her? The fuck?

And how does he go this over the edge over her laughing at him?

 

[Izuna]

 

[zeemumu]

That's some Phoenix Wright shit

 

[jstevenson]

Wait he decapitated her? The fuck?

And how does he go this over the edge over her laughing at him?

I don't know where that is coming from, I haven't seen that on any news stories

 

[Jeels]

18 years of marriage and you murder them for laughing at you?

There had to be a history of domestic violence before this...

 

[Fangdangle]

I don't know where that is coming from, I haven't seen that on any news stories

It mentions it in the the 2nd paragraph of the linked article. Sorry wrong information, apologies

 

[SatoAilDarko]

Pretty sparse on details why but a wife laughing at him being the trigger to murder sounds like something a crazy person would say.

Sounds like insomnia.

 

[TheRealTalker]

That's some Phoenix Wright shit

more like Detective conan actually had an arc like this

 

[JoJoShabadoo]

It mentions it in the the 2nd paragraph of the linked article. Sorry wrong information, apologies

Severe head wound. Not severed head.

 

[cpp_is_king]

"They're all gonna laugh at you!"

Seriously though, I'm curious to know what she was laughing about

 

[Fangdangle]

Sorry I made the same mistake as another poster. My condolences to the family RIP

 

[marzlapin]

He sounds like an abuser. I bet this didn't come out of nowhere.

 

[SamVimes]

This is like that Margaret Atwood quote.

 

[sixteen-bit]

This is like that Margaret Atwood quote.

Yup, post #10 nailed it.

 

[HammerOfThor]

He sounds like an abuser. I bet this didn't come out of nowhere.

Yeah, thats what I'm thinking. Poor kids

 

[ibyea]

Dude might have overreacted just a tad bit.

D:

 

[cpp_is_king]

He sounds like an abuser. I bet this didn't come out of nowhere.

Another article says he has no police record of domestic abuse calls to their house

 

[Trojita]

I decided not to make this thread earlier when I found out the murder mystery dinner was happening elsewhere on the gigantic cruise ship.

Apparently there was a lot of domestic abuse leading up to this. A sad situation, especially because the children witnessed it happening.

 

[HammerOfThor]

Another article says he has no police record of domestic abuse calls to their house

That doesn't really mean much seeing as how she could have never called the police.

 

[norm9]

Last time a person on a boat fell down, bumped their head and died, a war was won. Let's wait for more info before judging.

 

[traveler]

Another article says he has no police record of domestic abuse calls to their house

Could be more of a slow build over time of little things....

Not that violence is justifiable or the dude is in the right. At least Lester's moment was conceivably intended to be non lethal; dunno how you straight up decapitate someone out of nowhere. That's super screwed.

Edit: My bad. Missed the post about it being severe head injury and not a severed head.

 

[choodi]

What has the murder mystery show got to do with this?

It was on another part of the ship and had no bearing on the murder.

Click bait headline.

dunno how you straight up decapitate someone out of nowhere. That's super screwed.

No one was decapitated. Read the article.

 

[commedieu]

I came in expecting someone took the game too seriously.

I leave with a beaten to death mother.

 

[Lister]

I feel so bad for those kids. Their lives upturned so suddenly: finding out their father is a psychopath with serious anger issues AND having their mom taken away from them.

 

[Indrid Cold1]

Horrendous story. Poor woman. A minute of madness during an argument and something like that happens if you have got the fucked up temperament of this man. To think she might have spent 18 years treading on eggshells around that prick to try to avoid something like that happening to her. Horrible stuff. Domestics are the worst.

 

[TheOGB]

This is some sad, petty shit to kill someone over. It's unsurprising but still baffling that there are several dudes this fucking fragile out here.

Severe head wound. Not severed head.

Yeh, had to read that 3 times myself