cruise ship killers erica and dustin
After the ship docked, her possessions were packed away. In court, former colleagues of Robert McGill spoke of his talent and dedication as a teacher, and said they were baffled by what he had done. He was the only one on that ship that genuinely cared, who raised an alarm, and who tried to find her. Afterward, he changed clothes and went up to a deck, smoked a cigar and had more beer with another couple. So he killed her. A Carnival 'Elation' cruise ship in Nassau, Bahamas appears in this undated stock photo. Thats why she never said a word to anyone about he going in a cruise. I would bet he was married and wanted to keep it hush. Given the last minute cruise reservation, one outfit, the divorce and losing custody of her daughter, I believe Merriam committed suicide. No one filed a police report; no one contacted the family. May 3, 2021 | Unsolved Mysteries As some of you know, I was fortunate enough to be the writer-expert for a true crime documentary show called Cruise Ship Killers, which tells the stories of twenty-six people who vanished, died mysteriously, or were the victims of other crimes while on board a cruise. It worked. Try again. He was excited. On the second day of the cruise, a cabin attendant noticed that the bed had not been used and reported it to the boss. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Here are prices in 10 communities. Sadly, he passed away in December 2019 without ever finding out what became of Merrian. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. They really enjoyed it. Robert McGill sat on deck atop the Carnival cruise ship Elation, smoking a cigar and drinking out of a bucket of beers. Authorities believe that she fell or was pushed overboard, but some strange facts emerged about her vanishing. The 33-year-old was aboard an AIDA Cruises ship for a holiday from Hamburg to New York when he went missing. McGill is charged with killing his wife on July 14, the day of his birthday, as the ship steamed home after a stop in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Im sure Someone else theorized this, Your email address will not be published. Please enter valid email address to continue. True-crime tales of people who never returned home after taking a holiday aboard a cruise ship. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Crime A farmer and his wife take a cruise celebrating their hard work and good fortune in life. Is it on TV yet? But when a cruise line is at fault or a cruise line member is involved Im sure you get the brick wall. But the end of the late-in-life romance between Robert and Shirley McGill turned out to be something from a horror film. But somebody outside that company knows something. Ill tell you all about it.. It would be nice to think it was mere incompetence on the part of the cruise line, but it does seem like they were deliberately covering something up. She threw a few things into a bag, intending to buy new things in port. He reported her missing right away and continued to report her missing for the remaining five days of the cruise, until his supervisor ordered him to do his job and forget it.. But not everyone returns home from these trips. Fariba Amani was enjoying a cruise with her boyfriend, Ramiz Golshani, when she mysteriously vanished from the Bahamas Celebration cruise. Wow, this is incredibly crazy on a number of levels not the least of which is the way that cruise ships operate with impunity and no sense for the safety of their passengers. By this point, she had been missing for twenty-six days. The cruise lines are currently losing a massive amount of money daily, with their ships just sitting around. 1. Wouldnt they want to find out the truth if someone disappears? This is very cruel.' Cruise Ship Murders A person that is killed by someone, the involvement of a perpetrator is required and where suicide is excluded. A honeymoon cruise goes awry when the bride is allegedly blown off a balcony in the middle of the night. She disappeared without a trace. Barnett's family hired lawyer Gloria Allred in their search for answers. "They're suffering now," McGill was heard saying as he gestured to his family. He disappeared after reportedly either jumping or falling from a cruise ship. When she mentioned the same wish the following night, he suggested ordering room service, and then brought her two sandwiches at her request. A full search and rescue mission began after family members realized the couple was missing, but the mission failed to find anyone. No body was ever found. She was last seen on CCTV footage in the crews lounge talking on an internal phone. 10 Eerie Last Words Of People Who Then Vanished Without A Trace. Do you know anything about the claims by Canadian authorities that they thought the found Merrians bones? "I know that she would never have knowingly or willingly ingested that," Jamie said. This is a very intriguing story but I cant help but think she committed suicide because of what she brought on the cruise with her. That was the last known sighting of Merrian alive. She spent time by herself and didnt want to go to the dinner. Merrian was single, independent, and she had been known to take other trips when she needed to clear her head, without necessarily letting anyone know. Shes dead, said McGill, then 55, according to court papers. I feel the same. The death was reported to Carnival crew members around 8:20 p.m., but authorities have placed the time of Shirley McGill's death about two hours before, according to the court documents. So she didnt raise her voice or yell/scream. Dana Bartholomew has been a general assignment reporter since 2000 for the Los Angeles Daily News. A generous tip and a manilla envelope with unknown contents had been left behind, along with all of her belongings, including her only shoes. Two years after that fateful evening of July 14, 2009, the Winnetka schoolteacher pleaded guilty Thursday in a San Diego federal court to second-degree murder on the high seas. He eventually fell asleep. I think they are suffering and need to hear from me.". Just wanted to comment, I see so many people disparaging cruise lines here, but really how many crimes happen every day to people on land- based vacations? Cruise Ship Killers is a true crime series that tells the stories of people who never returned home after taking a holiday on a cruise ship, featuring interviews with family, friends, investigators and experts.Stars: John Barnard, J.H. The bottom line is if they had not been drinking, you can almost go to the bank that it would not have happened.. He did report that it was a short walk from Merrians room to an observation deck 100 feet above the waterline. A surprise cruise holiday for a husband and wife from Olympia, Washington ends up with one of them going overboard. The couple were aboard Carnival Cruise Lines' [] As her family hadnt known that Carver was on the ship, the police needed time to trace her there. Whatever decency Mr. McGill had, he left on the floor of that bathroom next to Shirleys beaten, bleeding and broken body, Forge said. Colleagues said McGill spent years teaching at-risk teens, became burned out by the job a decade ago but was revitalized when he came to work at the West Valley Leadership Academy in Canoga Park, a county-run alternative high school to help at-risk youth. The couple had been high school sweethearts and then broke up. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Witnesses aboard the ship claim they saw someone jump overboard around 6:00 AM the day he went missing. I agree, JD. Others say that she jumped or fell from the deck. He was initially charged with first-degree murder. "They were childhood sweethearts.". The cruise ship was off the coast of Canada when the incident occurred. The cabin steward only looked in her closet once shed been missing and when he was trying to figure out what had happened to her. They cited his lifelong work as a dedicated teacher and that he was extremely intoxicated when he beat his wife, so much so that he has no clear memory of what provoked him or what happened. Did someone aboard see her before she disappeared? He just always said to me, he said, theres more to this story than has been reported.. Sometimes the obvious is the answer. Im wondering, though: How does anyone know how many clothes Merrian brought on board? His reaction does seem strange. Merrian Carvers disappearance from a cruise ship around Alaska in 2004 is one of the more absurd stories. This person jumped. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Authorities believe that the couple committed suicide by jumping into the sea together. Thanks so much, Cat. She had danced all night with members of Rhapsodys band, Blue Orchid. Definitely something fishy here, and I dont mean Alaskan salmon. Shirley McGills children sounded a different note. His body was never found. The couple, who had been married for 49 years, mysteriously vanished while on the Carnival Cruise Line ship. 10 Ships That Simply Vanished Without A Trace. It was believed that he had fallen overboard, and the coast guard spent 36 hours looking for his body. She had her whole life in front of her. #inline-recirc-item--id-d44635f2-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-d44635f2-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { Shirley McGill, 55, was killed on July 14, 2009, aboard the Carnival cruise ship Elation. In August 2004, a 40-year-old red-haired poet and investment banker named Merrian Carver boarded the Mercury, one of Royal Caribbeans Celebrity cruise ships. Shirley McGill was beaten and strangled to death on the bathroom floor of a cruise ship cabin at the hands of her husband. Moncrieff, Damian Turner #CruiseShipKillers #CrimeTV #BreakthroughEntertainment To help others avoid the pain and suffering hed gone through, Carver founded International Cruise Victims, an advocacy and support group, in 2006. A professors assistant goes missing at sea near the end of a long voyage. Some theories claimed that he was thrown overboard by the men with whom he was arguing. Jamie founded Listverse due to an insatiable desire to share fascinating, obscure, and bizarre facts. I honestly think someone killed her; I dont believe it was suicide. McGill made the confession after being informed of his Miranda rights and telling interrogators he was willing to answer questions without the presence of an attorney, FBI Special Agent James B. Stinnett wrote in a probable cause affidavit attached to the criminal complaint charging him with one count of murder. But after she witnesses a man overboard, many begin to wonder if it was accidental or on purpose - and who is next? Youre not the only one who has that theory, Alexgood call. ), but why would someone kill her? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Both had no history of violence or marital discord, according to court papers. Frantic, she contacted Kendall Carver, Merrians dad, who reported his daughter missing to the Cambridge, Massachusetts police when he also couldnt reach her. Genres Documentary Subtitles None Available Audio Languages English Moncrieff, Damian Turner #CruiseShipKillers #CrimeTV #BreakthroughEntertainment A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. An average of ten Americans disappear from cruise ships every year. But now I am that much less likely to ever subject myself to that pleasure. Though, I now think its a great setting for a thriller novel. When she failed to report for her shift, crew members started looking for Coriam. There was also an envelope which may have included a suicide note. Her father was a hero. Jennifer claimed that she did not remember much from the previous night, and nobody ever admitted to knowing anything about Smiths disappearance. It was not unusual for Merrian to go off on spur-of-the-moment trips without telling anyone, and since her daughter was staying with her ex-husband for the summer, it might have seemed like a good opportunity. i have been on numerous cruises, but will probably never step on board one again. She embarked upon a seven-day cruise from Seattle, Washington to Alaska. On May 12, a ship employee found two passports, two pairs of flip-flops . Surveillance video showed Caldwell leaving the casino at 2:17 AM, and one crew member admitted that a bartender had seen Caldwell on the promenade deck around 3:30 AM. The 47-year-old mother of two from Canada disappeared on February 29, 2012, somewhere between the Bahamas and Florida. After they were unsuccessful, the United States Coast Guard and the Mexican Navy were alerted and joined the search. There is absolutely no strong indication or proof that she committed suicide, especially since there was no record of her leaving her room. Carvers living hell was about to begin. I disagree. Some theories claim that she was swept overboard while at the pool. My theory: sailing was a last-minute decision to meet up with the crew member with whom she was having a relationship. On the face of it, suicide does seem to be a likely option, but with the lack of evidence we will probably never know. A passenger stated that a nearby camera for that deck was covered, so there was no footage of her. So, we have a number of people each with their own agenda, and this poor woman is caught in the middle of it. Suicidal people are not thinking clearly. ", Carnival issued a statement saying, "The situation was handled appropriately and reported to all applicable law enforcement authorities.". Im always skeptical of pulling the suicide card but it seems quite obvious here. Well seems to me she was having an affair with an unnamed cruise member. According to his own words in assorted testimonies and media reports, the grieving father met with roadblocks whenever he tried to get answers about what had happened to his daughter. I also thought it odd that she brought so few things or that the cabin steward knew what she brought, its kind of creepy that he looked in her closet long enough to take inventory. This includes using first- and third-party cookies, which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. Thank you to Jamie Barnett, President of the ICV, for his assistance and support with this post. 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SIGN UP FOR SNEAK PEEKS OF MY NEXT BOOK + NEWSLETTER-ONLY UPDATES. A detention hearing in the case is set for July 23, with a preliminary hearing on July 30. She had one pair of shoes and one dress, both of which were left in her room when she vanished. During the trial, the cruise line released an official statement to the media, claimingthat Merrian had severe emotional problems, had attempted suicide before, and appears to have committed suicide on our ship. (Suicide is often the excuse when passengers go missing.). Why wouldnt the cruise-ship employees want to find out the truth? The search for his body was called off after four days.[4]. In December 2004, 37-year-old Annette Mizener embarked on a nine-day cruise with her parents and daughter. On March 22, 2011, while working on the Disney Wonder, Coriam disappeared. Featuring interviews with family, friends, investigators and experts. On the final day of the trip, she disappeared from Carnivals ship The Pride. And if she planned on committing suicide, why the round-trip ticket? Thanks, Sherry. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. If the manilla envelope contained a suicide note, why didnt the cruise line release it, since it would have proven their theory? Maybe he was worried about losing his job so he covered up the suicide and took the suicide letter and money. i believe this is one of the reasons why. Another passenger heard furniture being moved around inside the room, and Jennifer was later found passed out in a hallway.[2]. Aztecs to honor 8 on Senior Night against Wyoming, but are all of them leaving? 16+. This was when Carver learned that someonehadcared about his daughter, and he was even more distressed when he discovered that a cruise-line supervisor had brushed off her stewards fears. After heading to Cabo with two couples and returning to the ship on the last leg of the cruise, McGill was so drunk he could barely walk, a witness said. Many corporations in the vacation industry hide things from their patrons that arent even their fault in a misguided attempt to keep precious normalcy. Christopher Caldwell and his fiancee, Crystal Tinder, went on a Carnival cruise in July 2004 to Mexico. Oh, that was kind of a joke, but from the show, thats when people tended to disappear. It worked. Her dad returned to the balcony at 6:00 AM to check on Amy, but she was no longer there. No one secured her cabin. In 2005, Hue Pham, 71, and Hue Tran, 67, took a seven-night Mother's Day cruise in the Caribbean with their daughter and granddaughter. Here are 10 times that people mysteriously disappeared from cruise ships. Stinnett noted in the court papers that Robert McGill's knuckles "appeared as if he had been in a fight.". They say her body was left with the coroner in Mexico while the cruise, and her boyfriend, continued on. I tend to doubt it. He loved her with all his heart, White, a Ventura resident, said in an interview. In 2010, Rebecca Coriam started working for Disney Cruise Line and spent months visiting several ports in the Bahamas. After hanging up the phone, she walked away, never to be seen again.[3]. Its horrible that cruise lines have so much power to do whatever they please and cover up anything that is questionable. ", Jamie, crying, told reporters: "I wake up every morning wishing I could hold her just one more time. Robert McGill was arrested when the ship docked in San Diego. During questioning, the school teacher from Los Angeles told investigators he killed his wife "in the bathroom of their cabin with his bare hands," court documents revealed Friday. First published on April 5, 2006 / 8:22 AM. Tenoriowas traveling with [], Katherine Kemp Notable Cruise Industry Death Murder Fred Olsen Cruise Lines EmployeeKatie Kemp Murdered On Monday, August 6, 2018, at approximately 0850 hours, Katherine (Katie) Kemp, 31, from Ipswich, Suffolk was murdered by [], Tamara Loraine Tucker, 50, fromLawson, Missouri, was allegedly murdered byher longtime love, Eric Duane Newman, 53, on Friday, January 19, 2018 during a celebration for her 50th birthday. Hi J.H., did you see the post by a Law firm that bones were found on a Canadian island and they think they are Merrians? On May 12, a ship employee found two passports, two pairs of flip-flops, two drivers licenses, medication, and a wallet containing cash and credit cards. In bankruptcy papers, McGill listed assets of $50,000 to $100,000 and debts of $100,000 to $500,000. However, he only did this because he was ordered to do so by the coast guard. Hey RandeeI believe that information came from the steward, who spent a fair amount of time speaking to her and preparing her room for bedtime, etc. The county closed it in June because of dwindling attendance. The cruise line took three more days to confirm to authorities that she had been on the vessel, which was 26 days after she disappeared. And inside was Shirley McGills body in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor, with blood splattered around the cabin. Yes, its safe to assume those were not her remains, as its never been confirmed. Others believe that he accidentally fell into the water after drinking too much. Fascinating story. To me, suicide is a silent because we dont always recognize the signs until theyve passed. However, her steward insisted that shedid not seem upset, out of sorts, sad or angry. 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Hundreds of books have been written about Disney and the odd practices at their theme parks where they go to great lengths cover up medical episodes that are not their fault because they dont want to alarm people. A passenger aboard Brilliance of the Seas claimed that he heard men arguing in the Smiths room. Ramiz last saw her at the ships gift shop, and then he headed to the casino by himself. . "He's a great friend, he's great with kids, he's a great dad, he's a great husband," White said. He was told the ships surveillance cameras automatically erase any footage after only three days. There are other explanations for that, though. After he admitted killing his wife . Their son, Michael Pham, testified before Congress to urge tougher regulation of safety practices on cruise lines. Her steward, Domingo Monteiro, found her to be personable, relaxed, and looking forward to the cruise. Moncrieff. Did the pressure of the kitchen make her take her own life or did foul play occur? Everyone would assume she went overboard. Everyone has dark moments in their lives, and its a shame they can be used against us if we go missing. How did they come to the conclusion that if she jumped, it would have been done in her underwear? She supposedly was having a relationship with an unidentified cruise member. A retired teacher takes a solo Great Lakes cruise toward a family reunion. MoncrieffWebsite By Elise Epp Design and Amanda Weber. After finding out more about these cruise ships, I dont think Ill follow their example. Everybody loved her. She didnt tell anyone she was going (even if that was uncommon, she had recently gone through a divorce and custody battle), she took next to nothing with her as if she doesnt need much. 7 The Murder-Suicide Couple Salem couple found dead on cruise ship Darla J. Mellinger-Banner, 56, and John C. Banner, 56, of Salem, a suburb of Youngstown, Ohio, were known to Salem police after a December 21, 2014, incident where Darla Banner was injured in a knife accident. ever wonder why cruise ships are not registered in the united states? Frustrated, Carverhired one of the largest private investigation firms in the country, but this resulted in more questions than answers. When the cruise ship docked the next morning, he was not in his room or anywhere else on the ship. Required fields are marked *. Early that morning, Bradley went missing.