ST. GEORGE — A woman who was found dead aboard an Alaskan cruise ship Tuesday has been identified as 39-year-old Kristy Manzanares of St. George. The FBI has arrested the woman’s husband Kenneth Manzaneres. He is being charged with murder in connection with her death.
The couple was traveling with family aboard the Emerald Princess, which was carrying 3,400 passengers and 1,100 crew members on a weeklong cruise along the Alaskan panhandle, Princess Cruises said in a statement. The ship had left Seattle, Washington, on Sunday.
Two days later, Kristy Manzanares was found dead.
At approximately 9:03 p.m. Tuesday, Emerald Princess security and medical personnel responded to an incident in the couple’s room, cabin D726.
Security was notified after a family member had entered the couple’s cabin and observed Kenneth Manzanares with blood on his hands and clothing while Kristy Manzaneres was lying on the floor covered in blood with a “severe head wound,” according to a criminal complaint filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Blood was reportedly spread throughout the room on multiple surfaces.
When the family member asked Kenneth Manzanares what had happened, he allegedly replied, “She would not stop laughing at me,” according to the complaint.
The family member then observed Kenneth Manzanares grab his wife’s body and drag her toward a balcony in the cabin, the FBI report stated. The family member grabbed the woman’s ankles and pulled her back into the cabin.
Soon thereafter, Emerald Princess security entered the cabin and restrained Kenneth Manzanares.
“Later, when Manzanares was being processed during a search by the FBI for physical evidence, he spontaneously stated, ‘My life is over,’” the report stated.
The ship docked in Juneau, Alaska, on Wednesday morning so that FBI investigators could board.
This is a developing story. Continue to follow St. George News for updates.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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This is very sad. I met both of them last year at a company Christmas party. They seemed happy. Kenny and I sat there all night joking and having a good time. According to JonesAB my judge of caricature is flawed, so what do I know! GO FALCONS!
Not to be insensitive or anything, obviously this is very tragic for the victim and her family. But if Mr. Manzanares’ story is true, this is not murder. Murder requires “malice aforethought.” This seems to be a case (again, if Mr. Manzanares’ story is true) of a wife pushing her husband to his emotional limit, and him breaking. Anyone who has ever been in a rocky relationship knows that this is a very believable behavior. I think he’s telling the truth, it seems pretty obvious there was no planning here. He didn’t even lock the door to the cabin. In court, I would expect to hear details of a very bad marriage.
I also expect an outcry from the victim’s family eventually. They are not going to be happy with the final charge against Mr. Manzanares, which will be manslaughter.
Sorry, murder is murder. This guy is ‘toast’.
You know absolutely nothing regarding what took place between this couple during the death of this woman. btw Malice aforethought does not mean he had to plan it out for weeks, days or even hours. In most states if one decides, even in a moment “I am going to kill her(him)” that is enough to for a charge of murder ( I was once a legal secretary). Period. Now comes the degree; manslaughter varies among jurisdictions.
You say this seems to be a case of a wife pushing her husband to his emotional limit. What does that mean? It’s okay to kill someone or beat them or exact revenge? The law will not care. Laughing, making fun of someone is not grounds to kill. Most juries don’t even accept self-defense when the victim was violent. Prime example: the majority of women beaten and abused by their husbands they wind up killing are sent off to prison for a very long time.
This guy also killed the mother of his children also on the cruise with them.
I think Nick is right. I think she probably finally pushed him over the edge. She may have mocked him and made fun of him for years before this. We’ll probably never know. Some women just know how to push the right buttons, ya know?
He’s a sicko and you are pretty sick defending his actions in any manner. Some women know how to push buttons? You an abuser? I wouldn’t be surprised.
Gotta wonder what was so funny. LOL, case closed, no mysteries here, at least.
HIS life is over? How about hers? And who is going to reimburse those other passengers who do not get to follow the original itinerary? They probably saved up for this cruise, took time off work, and will never get to do it again. What a selfish a$$.
So incredibly sad. This boils down to lack of self-control. He just destroyed this entire family by losing his temper “in the moment”. It was probably over something dumb that he would have laughed about himself the following day, but in the moment it seemed like everything and he lost it. So sad for this family. Naturally “comments” is an insensitive git about it with zero empathy.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwww, come on Bri, don’t be such a little baby. These were strangers to me and probably you. The problem with me is I have way too much empathy for people. I wouldn’t expect you to shed a tear for me if I was murdered tomorrow. And if you cried for everyone who was murdered in the United states today and everyday all you’d do is cry because there aren’t enough hours in the day. What I’m saying is there are lots and lots of murders in this country everyday. You have every right to whine and be a little crybaby, but I’d still like to know what triggered this guy. We can go on and on all day about how sad it is, and of course it is, but what difference does it make to you and me, Bri?
I will concede that the “LOL” was out of line, but to be fair I didn’t actually even “LOL”. We all make mistakes. Peace be upon you Brother Brian.
This is a great story for Geoff “Ann Landers” Steurer, relationship connections. What do you do when your wife won’t stop laughing at you, mocking you. Seek counseling? Ask her, “What’s so funny sweetheart? I wish you wouldn’t do that.
Your articles are usually boooooooring but I’d love to hear what your advice would be to Mr Manzanares in this situation.
I’m going to encourage people not to speculate too much about what happened, as this family is local (from Santa Clara) and people who know them say they were a loving family and this kind of action by the husband is completely out of character. We may find out that there was some cause for an unusual mental state or something. I think we need to pray for all of them and not speculate, but just go with any facts that come out.
“they were a loving family”
Really? And I think folks should speculate to their hearts content. Maybe someone from their LDS ward can come in and give us more to the story.
Or their Catholic congregation, as they are Catholic.
Devastating, would not be surprised if drugs were involved. Reminds me of another perfect couple in Maricopa AZ. She was coincidentally a real estate agent and he was an airline pilot (of all things). They both turned up missing and their bodies were discovered a few days later buried next to a neighboring home, killed over a drug deal
Awe the only thing the narcissistic killing machine could think of to try to “fix this” when unexpectedly busted busted was, “she was laughing at me”. Seriously? No way! Anyone who thinks they can be pushed beyond their emotional limit and kill someone, needs to go check into the mental hospital and save society! Lies! I bet it was premeditated! Hell he even tried to throw her lifeless body over the balcony! I hope he FRIES! This just screams of domestic violence, there’s no telling the psychological trauma this poor woman suffered before this. Ppl really need some understanding of abusers.
I wonder if they had met with their bishop on many occasions for LDS “marriage counseling”…
This is very sad. I’m a survivor of abuse. My ex accused me of being with another man since it’s out of my character to have an affair it through me off I chuckled then all of a sudden my 6 4′ 240lbs. Ex husband started to strangle me repeatedly by the grace of God I got away. He was special forces so his hands were considered weapons he ended up getting 0-5 yrs in prison. That was back in 96′ he got out he did it again to someone else yikes. I found out he was using meth.