When 39-year-old Kristy Manzanares was murdered on the Emerald Princess Alaska cruise on Tuesday, other passengers who heard the announcements believed it to be part of the murder mystery dinner show which was ongoing at the time. However, Manzanares had been discovered in her cabin at 9 p.m. after suffering a severe head wound, which FBI says was the result of a “domestic dispute” with her husband. Twenty minutes later, Manzanares was pronounced dead.

‘Murder Mystery’ turned into a real crime

Passengers on the Emerald Princess cruise were enjoying a murder mystery dinner show on the ship when announcements started coming asking for emergency assistance from security and medical teams.

As reported by Inside Edition, one of the passengers, Vic Simpson, said those who were enjoying the show reacted casually to the announcements, believing them to be all part of the murder mystery. Simpson said as it was a mystery about a death on a cruise ship, it just seemed to add to the dramatic effect of the evening.

Ship locked down by the FBI

However, it soon became clear something was very wrong when the ship was diverted to Juneau several hours ahead of its normal schedule. On arrival in Juneau, the FBI locked down the ship for hours as they investigated Manzanares’ death. Many passengers were restricted to their cabins and no one was allowed to leave the cruise ship until around 8:30 p.m.

on Wednesday.

Charges filed against the husband, Kenneth Manzanares

After interviewing passengers and members of the crew, officials eventually filed charges against Kenneth Manzanares, Kristy’s husband, on Thursday. Reportedly a witness who had entered the cabin and found Kristy in the blood-soaked room had asked Kenneth what had happened.

He responded that his wife wouldn’t stop laughing at him and then reportedly attempted to drag Kristy’s body to the ship’s balcony. However, a security officer, who arrived moments later, cuffed him after noting the blood on his hands and shirt. Manzanares now faces anything from a maximum sentence of life behind bars to the death penalty for killing his wife.

Cruise was to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary

The Manzanares’ neighbors, Nicole and Brice Beckstrom, told CBS News that the couple was on the cruise to celebrate their 18th anniversary. They also said the couple’s teenage daughters had accompanied them. The family boarded the ship in Seattle Sunday and was supposed to enjoy a seven-day cruise.
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