Dark Seas: The 10 Most Horrifying True Crimes Committed On Cruise Ships

MORE: Grandpa Who Dropped Granddaughter Off Cruise Ship Pleads Guilty To Negligent Homicide

Kendall Carver, chairman of the International Cruise Victims Association, and whose daughter, Merrian, disappeared on a cruise ship and still hasn’t been found, explained why, “A cruise ship is a floating city with thousands of people on board, serving unlimited drinks, with no police,” he said. “What do you think is going to happen? It’s not a crime-free area; passengers need to use common sense.”

MORE: Husband Pleads Guilty To Beating His Wife To Death On Cruise Ship

Some victims of cruise ship crimes simply ran into the wrong people, predators who blend in with those thousands of tourists. But just like victims of crime on land, many cruise ship crime victims were harmed by people they knew well. For too many couples, a cruise emphasized their pre-existing problems, and tragedy resulted.

Finally, given the fact that cruise ships spend much of their time in the open water, it’s easy for people to just disappear. Several people have gone missing on cruise ships, and we will likely never know what happened to them.

Left To Die Naked On A Bathroom Floor After Three Men Allegedly Gave Her A Date Rape Drug

Dianne Brimble was a 42-year-old mother of three from Brisbane, Australia. On September 23rd, 2002, she boarded the P&O cruise line ship Pacific Sky for a ten-day voyage. She was joined by her sister, her daughter and her niece. Brimble had saved up for their vacation for three years.

At the time, P&O cruises reportedly were known for their raucous party atmosphere. On the first night of her voyage, Brimble met Mark Wilhelm who was traveling with seven other male friends. Brimble, Wilhelm and two of his friends, Letterio Silvestri and Ryan Kuchel, danced and drank until about 4 a.m. and then headed to the men’s shared cabin.

Wilhelm allegedly gave Brimble GHB, a sedative also known as “the date rape drug,” and she then reportedly had sex with Wilhelm and Silvestri. At around 8:30 a.m., the ship’s paramedics were called to the men’s room, where they found Brimble naked, unconscious and alone. Paramedics tried to revive her but she was pronounced dead at 9:03 a.m., not even a full day into her cruise.

Although an official cause of death has never been determined, a coroner’s report reportedly found that the liquid GHB combined with the alcohol in Brimble’s system caused respiratory failure. Eight years after Brimble’s death, coroner Jacqueline Milledge formally presented her findings. "She was unknowingly drugged by unscrupulous individuals who were intent on denigrating her for their own gratification," Milledge said.

Wilhelm, Silvestri and Kuchel were charged with manslaughter but a jury was unable to reach a verdict in their 2007 trial. Wilhelm eventually pleaded guilty of supplying Brimble with GHB in 2010 after a judge refused to accept his guilty plea to manslaughter. Silvestri and Kuchel both pleaded guilty of obstruction of justice, but the judge declined to have the men serve jail time.

Allegedly Stabbed His New Wife To Death, Then Hanged Himself

Darla J. Mellinger-Banner and John Banner were both retired when they married on October 2nd, 2014. Just six months later, on April 2nd, 2015, both were found dead in their cabin on the MS Ryndam.

The newlywed retirees had already been known to local police in their hometown of Salem, Ohio. Shortly after returning from a honeymoon cruise, Darla was reportedly admitted to the hospital with a stab wound in her chest. Police interviewed them and determined that John had discovered an old military dagger in the closet, gone to show it to Darla, tripped on a rug and accidentally buried the dagger in her chest. Both John and Darla’s accounts of the incident matched up, and police reportedly deemed it a “freak accident.”

John and Darla booked another cruise, this time to celebrate Easter. Their Caribbean cruise left Key West, Florida on March 30th and headed towards San Juan, Puerto Rico. John and Darla both died before it arrived.

Authorities haven’t released many details about Darla and John’s deaths, but an unnamed Holland America source reportedly said a fight began when John found a text on Darla’s cell from another man, broke a glass in a fit of jealousy and stabbed her with the broken glass before he hanged himself.

Allegedly Beat And Strangled His Wife To Death After A 30-Year Separation & Reconciliation

Robert and Shirley McGill were once high school sweethearts but went their separate ways after graduation. Robert went on to teach at-risk youths in the Los Angeles County school system, and Shirley spent three decades working at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The couple reunited at a high school reunion, and in 2003 they were married. But just six years later, Robert allegedly murdered Shirley on the bathroom floor of their cruise ship cabin.

On July 14th, 2009, Robert and Shirley were on a five-day Mexican cruise on Carnival’s Elation to celebrate Robert’s 55th birthday. Robert had reportedly been drinking heavily that day. Exactly how much he drank is unknown, but Robert’s lawyers said he’d consumed at least 20 drinks, including beer, hard liquor, and mezcal. Witnesses also said they’d seen Robert having trouble standing upright.

That night, Robert allegedly attacked Shirley in their cabin, savagely beating her and then strangling her to death. Afterwards, he reportedly changed clothes and went up to a deck where he drank more beer and smoked a cigar with another couple they’d met on the trip. When the couple asked Robert where Shirley was, he reportedly admitted he killed her. FBI agents arrested Robert when the ship docked in San Diego.

Robert was reportedly so drunk that he apparently had no memory of his crime, and he reportedly couldn’t explain to investigators why he murdered Shirley. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison. According to various reports, Robert and Shirley had no history of marital discord prior to the murder, and friends were baffled to hear the news. To this day Robert’s true motive for murdering Shirley is unclear. But according to a former colleague who has exchanged letters with Robert, Robert said, “There’s more to this story than has been reported.”

Allegedly Gave Birth On A Cruise Ship & Left Her Baby To Die

In 2011, 20-year-old Alicia Keir boarded a Caribbean Cruise to St. Maarten with a friend’s family. She had reportedly just gone through a breakup and was pregnant but decided to keep her baby. She had reportedly only recently found out she was pregnant and believed she was only around six weeks into the pregnancy, but she was actually much further along than she thought.

Thinking she would give birth long after the cruise ended, she reportedly never told her traveling companions about her pregnancy. One night, after they had all fallen asleep, Keir began experiencing severe cramping that she attributed to overeating. Then, she reportedly gave birth. The next morning, a cleaning crew reportedly found Keir’s child’s body wrapped in a towel under a bed.

Keir originally claimed that she thought her baby was born dead, but an autopsy performed on the island of St. Maarten reportedly determined that the baby had been born alive and died due to “Failure to thrive as the result of exposure and the lack of care.”

Since Keir reportedly hadn’t told anyone about the birth and didn’t try to summon help or medical attention, she was charged with involuntary manslaughter four years later. Her lawyer argued that while she made a mistake in not seeking medical help, she didn’t mean for the child to die. "She was a young woman who had never given birth before, giving birth alone in the bathroom of a cruise ship afraid to tell anyone what had happened," he wrote.

Keir pleaded guilty. The charge carries a 33-month minimum sentence, but she was credited with time served and sentenced to one day in jail.

Disappeared On His Honeymoon & It’s Never Been Explained

On July 4th, 2005, the 26-year-old George Allen Smith IV and his new bride, Jennifer, were midway through a Mediterranean cruise. George’s family owns a popular liquor store in Cos Cob, Connecticut, and Jennifer was set to begin a new job teaching third graders. The couple had reportedly spent the day exploring the Greek island of Mykonos before returning to the ship, the Royal Caribbean liner Brilliance of the Seas, where they reportedly enjoyed an evening of dining, gambling and dancing.

Late on the night of his disappearance, George and Jennifer allegedly had a fight and spent some of the evening apart. On the morning of July 5th, Jennifer was reportedly informed that her husband had gone missing. Cruise ship employees reportedly found bloodstains both in the Smiths’ cabin and on the side of the ship, and it was reportedly determined that George had gone overboard.

George and Jennifer had reportedly made friends with several people on the trip, including a community college student named Josh Askin and four Russian-American teenagers — relatives Jeffrey, Zachary and Greg Rozenberg and Rotislav “Rusty” Kaufman. The night of George’s disappearance, Askin, Kaufman and the Rozenbergs reportedly escorted a heavily intoxicated George back to his cabin. That’s where they say they left him before returning to their own rooms to order room service, and this was reportedly the last time George was seen alive. A passenger in the neighboring stateroom later told investigators that sounds of a raucous party from the Smiths’ room woke him after 4 a.m. At about 4:25 a.m., the neighbor heard a loud thud. And then, silence.

The FBI would investigate the case for over nine years before finally shutting it down without offering an explanation for Smith’s disappearance and possible death. Askin, the Rozenbergs and Kaufman have all denied any involvement. Mike Jones, attorney for the Smith family, has reportedly suggested that George’s death might have been the result of a robbery gone wrong. Witnesses reported overhearing George and Jennifer talking about the thousands of dollars in wedding gift money they had stored in their cabin.

Went Overboard In 2005 & We Still Don’t Know What Happened

Tammy Grogan was a 35-year-old single mother who worked for a dentist in West Toledo, Ohio. In 2005, Tammy booked a Carnival Cruise from Key West to Playa del Carmen along with her brother, Robert, her mother, Bonnie, and her 14-year-old son Jimmy Fleischmann. It was supposed to be a much-needed family vacation, but Tammy reportedly disappeared, and her disappearance has never been fully explained.

The last time Tammy’s relatives saw her alive was reportedly around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 10th. The family didn’t realize she was missing until Monday morning. By the time they reported it to ship authorities, about 32 hours had elapsed. Carnival staff reportedly searched the ship and turned up nothing. They reportedly alerted the U.S. Coast guard, which declined to send out any rescue boats or planes because it had been nearly 36 hours since Tammy was last seen. On September 13th, the FBI announced it had no suspicion of foul play.

But after the family returned to Toledo, things got stranger. Tammy’s son Jimmy reportedly discovered that the family home had been burglarized and a computer, jewelry and credit cards were stolen. Police determined that the burglar had gained access not by breaking and entering but by using a key.

Bonnie Grogan reportedly believes the burglary is related to Tammy’s disappearance. She also reportedly believes she knows who is responsible for both.

The night Tammy reportedly went missing, Bonnie reportedly drank a glass of water that investigators later determined was allegedly laced with Rohypnol. Shortly after drinking it, Bonny reportedly fell unconscious and woke up late the next morning. Investigators also allegedly found that Craig had been researching Rohypnol, but he reportedly claimed it was to help Rebecca with insomnia.

Bonnie also reportedly believes that Tammy was drugged and thrown overboard.

Disappeared & Her Family Believes She Was Kidnapped Into Prostitution

In 1998, 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley was enjoying a Royal Caribbean cruise with her parents and brother. At around 5:30 a.m. on the morning of March 24th, Amy’s father Ron reported seeing her asleep in her cabin. When he went to check on her half an hour later, she was gone.

The disappearance reportedly occurred while the ship was approaching its destination of Curacao. The Bradleys reportedly immediately notified the ship’s crew and begged them not to dock so that no passengers could leave or enter. The crew reportedly refused. The ship pulled into port and allowed several passengers to leave before the ship was searched. Investigators reportedly found no trace of Amy on the ship. Authorities in Curacao, as well as Royal Caribbean, reportedly conducted a four-day search of the sea, but on March 29th, they officially declared Amy missing.

The Bradley family reportedly believes that Amy was kidnapped. The night before she went missing, Amy Lynn reportedly stayed out late partying in the ship’s nightclub, and the Bradleys reported crew members giving Amy Lynn “special attention” that had creeped her out. The Bradleys reportedly believe the crew might have been targeting Amy in order to abduct her and force her into a life of sexual exploitation.

There have reportedly been numerous reported sightings of Amy since she went missing. Five months after her disappearance, two Canadian tourists reportedly said they saw a woman on a beach with tattoos matching Amy’s. In 1999, a U.S. Navy sailor visiting a brothel in Barbados reported meeting a woman claiming to be Amy. Six years after that, another woman reported seeing a woman meeting Amy’s description in a department store restroom. Finally, in 2005 the Bradleys reportedly received an email with an attached photo of a woman resembling Amy lying on a bed in her underwear.

But none of these reported sightings confirm Amy’s whereabouts or her fate. In 2017, the FBI announced a $25,000 reward for information leading to Amy’s recovery or the identification, location or arrest of the responsible party.

Allegedly Strangled His Wife On Their Honeymoon, Blamed Her Murder On Israeli Assassins

Scott Roston and his wife, Karen Waltz, reportedly met because of an injury. Roston, a chiropractor, had fallen down the stairs and gone to see Waltz, a physical therapist. She treated his injury, they began dating shortly after and eight months later were engaged. Waltz’s mother was reportedly suspicious of Roston’s finances ... reportedly going so far as having Waltz’s pear-shaped diamond engagement ring appraised to see if it was actually cubic zirconia, but the couple was married on February 6th, 1988.

Roston and Waltz reportedly spent their honeymoon on the Stardancer. The voyage would last seven days and travel along the Mexican coast, near San Diego. But the couple’s vacation quickly soured. Witnesses reported overhearing Roston berating Waltz for her sweet tooth and for not knowing the correct silverware to use at dinner. Others spotted Roston and Waltz arguing on the deck.

At 3 a.m. on the night of February 13th, 1988, Roston reportedly told authorities that Waltz had gone missing. According to Roston, strong winds had pushed Waltz overboard while the couple was jogging. Both the ship’s crew and the U.S. Coast Guard officials were reportedly skeptical because no heavy winds had been recorded anywhere near the Stardancer that night. Roston’s face also reportedly bore multiple pear-shaped injuries, consistent with Waltz’s wedding ring.

Half a day after her disappearance, the Coast Guard reportedly found Waltz’s body floating 22 miles off the coast of San Diego. A medical examiner reportedly determined strangulation to be her cause of death. Experts testified that Waltz’s body floated with the aid of air pockets trapped in her clothing, which indicated that she was dead when she hit the water — if she had been alive and struggled in the water, there would have been no air pockets.

Roston reportedly changed his story. He reportedly told investigators that Waltz had been murdered by Israeli assassins. In 1979, Roston and his parents reportedly moved to Israel where he opened an unlicensed chiropractic clinic. Later that year, Roston was reportedly arrested on burglary charges and spent two months in a mental institution, where he claims he was drugged and beaten. He also reportedly claimed the Israeli mafia had targeted him for refusing to marry a neighbor’s niece and for refusing bribes. In 1987, Roston reportedly paid Vantage Press to publish an exposé about government corruption and human rights abuses in Israel. According to Roston, Waltz’s murder was revenge for this book. The night of Waltz’s death, Roston said, the assassins drugged him and framed him for the murder.

He maintained this defense until his trial. The jury didn’t buy it, and on October 12th, 1989, he was sentenced to life in prison for second-degree murder.

Allegedly Beat His Wife To Death While Their Children Were In The Next Room

Kenneth Manzanares and his wife, Kristy, booked an Alaskan cruise on the Emerald Princess to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary, and they brought their two children and various family members along. But during their voyage, their celebration reportedly took a nightmarish turn.

On the night of July 25th, 2017, Kenneth and Kristy reportedly got into an argument about Kenneth’s behavior that evening. (What exactly this behavior entailed hasn’t been disclosed.) At one point, Kristy reportedly demanded a divorce. Kenneth allegedly told their daughters — one aged 22 and the other aged 13 — to go into the next room, which they did. The girls reportedly heard screaming but couldn’t get back into their parents’ room. From an adjoining balcony, they reportedly witnessed their father beating their mother on the floor with his fists. Kenneth allegedly then tried to drag Kristy towards the balcony, but one of her brothers stopped him. When medical personnel arrived, they found that Kristy had suffered “severe head wounds” and that her blood was splattered around the room. She reportedly died of blunt force trauma to the head.

Later, Kenneth allegedly told his relatives that he had become enraged when Kristy would not stop laughing at him.

In February 2020, Kenneth pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine.

Allegedly Murdered His Second Wife For Money, Then Tried To Have His Third Wife Killed

Lonnie Loren Kocontes and Micki Kanesaki reportedly had a tumultuous relationship in the years leading up to her alleged murder. The couple reportedly met in 1995 when Kanesaki was working as a paralegal at Kocontes’ Orange County law firm. They were reportedly married that year and reportedly divorced in 2001 but reportedly continued to live together for reportedly financial reasons. The couple reportedly shared a bank account and a home. Kocontes reportedly wanted to sell their home and split the proceeds, but Kanesaki reportedly refused so they opted to remain in the house together. In 2005, Kocontes reportedly married a woman he met online, Amy Nguyen, but several months later reportedly moved back in with Kanesaki.

He booked a “cheap and cheerful” cruise on the Island Escape, a ship operating out of Messina, Italy. He reportedly told Kanesaki that it was a chance to patch things up. Kocontes had reportedly recently drafted a new will for Kanesaki that made himself the sole beneficiary of her estate, which totaled $1 million.

The couple boarded the cruise ship on May 25th, 2006. The same night they embarked, Kanesaki reportedly went missing. The next morning, Kocontes reported her disappearance and then immediately flew home to California. Kanesaki’s body reportedly washed up on shore two days later. Although an autopsy reportedly determined that Kanesaki had died by strangulation and was dead before hitting the water, her death reportedly wasn’t investigated until 2008, when Kocontes reportedly tried to transfer over $1 million from Kanesaki’s accounts.

Allegedly, Kocontes initially avoided arrest because his third wife, Amy Nguyen, testified on his behalf. In 2013, Nguyen reportedly changed her story and told investigators Kocontes had murdered Kanesaki, and Kocontes was finally charged with her murder. His trial was delayed for seven years due to questions over the court’s legal jurisdiction.

While awaiting trial, Kocontes allegedly attempted to get rid of Nguyen as well. He allegedly solicited two other inmates and offered to pay them to convince Nguyen to recant her testimony, then murder her. Instead, the inmates reportedly told Kocontes’s attorney, and he now faces two additional counts of solicitation of murder in a separate trial. His trial is ongoing. If convicted, he’s expected to face life in prison.

Kanesaki’s murder wasn’t the first onboard the Island Escape. It’s the same cruise ship where Karen Waltz was murdered in 1988, and it was renamed the Island Escape in 2002. Strangely, Kanesaki was even allegedly murdered in the same manner that Waltz allegedly was 28 years before.