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Kenneth Manzanares: Man who murdered wife on Alaskan cruise after she demanded divorce gets 30 years

Kenneth and his wife Kristy were aboard the Emerald Princess cruise ship on July 25, 2017 when they reportedly got into an argument over his behavior

JUNEAU, ALASKA: A Utah man who beat his wife to death during a family cruise to Alaska in 2017 has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.

In February 2020, 43-year-old Kenneth Manzanares pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of his wife, Kristy Manzanares. Kenneth, Kristy, their three daughters, and several members of Kristy's extended family were spending a family vacation aboard the Emerald Princess cruise ship on July 25, 2017. The murder occurred after Kristy and her husband reportedly got into an argument over his behavior, CrimeOnline reported.

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During the altercation, Kristy told Kenneth she wanted to get a divorce and that he should get off the ship in Juneau and go back to Utah. Prosecutors noted how Kenneth subsequently told his children to go to an adjoining cabin and that they began to hear their mother screaming just moments later. 

When the children tried to get back into the room, their father demanded that they stay away, telling them, "don't come in here." They then went to a connected balcony and saw their father on top of their mother, pummelling her head with closed fists.

“The daughters saw Kenneth straddling Kristy on the bed striking her in the head with closed fists,” officials said.

Shortly after, Kristy’s two brothers and father arrived at the cabin, only to find Kenneth trying to drag Kristy's body toward the balcony. One of her brothers managed to grab her ankles and bring her back to safety. However, it was too late.

Kenneth reportedly told a witness soon after the deadly attack that he killed his wife because “she would not stop laughing at me.” Court documents noted how “blood was spread throughout the room on multiple surfaces” and that Kenneth himself was drenched in blood. He was arrested one day later, when he allegedly told FBI agents, "My life is over."

The victim's father, Jeff Hunt told the court on June 2, during Wednesday's pre-sentencing hearing, that he hoped his son-in-law "gets what he deserves." Two of Kenneth's daughters also testified against their father. The admitted killer himself told the court that he loved his family and called Kristy his "soul mate" as he apologized for the murder.

“While today’s sentence will not bring Kristy back to her family and friends, we hope it provides a sense of justice for this heinous crime and brings some closure to those who knew and cared about her,” said Acting US Attorney Bryan Wilson of the District of Alaska. “This was not a random act of violence but a chilling neglect for human life for which he will serve 30 years in federal prison, where there is no parole ever,” Wilson added.

“No excuse can justify the savagery committed by this man, who will now spend the next three decades behind bars,” said Robert Britt, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI worked tirelessly, with the support of our partners, to seek justice for Kristy – a beloved mother, daughter, sister, and friend."

Kristy’s family said in a statement that the ruling “brings us neither joy nor anger. Rather, simply a sense of resolution. We believe that the court made a fair and just determination. However, the legal system does not and is not intended to fill the emotional void of our loss. While this marks the end of another chapter of this unimaginable ordeal, the fact is that Kristy’s three girls are still without both of their parents, and our focus now is to support them as best we can.”