Did the pressure of the kitchen make her take her own life or did foul play occur? After they were unsuccessful, the United States Coast Guard and the Mexican Navy were alerted and joined the search. Shirleys dead and I killed her, he said, according to the court papers. [5], 10 People Who Mysteriously Vanished While Traveling. Shirley McGill, 55, was killed on July 14, 2009, aboard the Carnival cruise ship Elation. A social media maven takes a cruise she believes will put her public profile over the tipping point. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. i believe this is one of the reasons why. Its so sad, and I also dont think she would have left her daughter. Dana Bartholomew has been a general assignment reporter since 2000 for the Los Angeles Daily News. She had danced all night with members of Rhapsodys band, Blue Orchid. But when she doesn't check in with her family members back home, they begin to suspect something bad has befallen her. He spent an hour searching for her on the ship.[7]. The manilla envelope and the money Merrian had left in her room disappeared with him, along with other personal belongings. Her family was not contacted and her items were removed from her cabin. But somebody outside that company knows something. And if she planned on committing suicide, why the round-trip ticket? Sometimes the obvious is the answer. Why wasnt the FBI or other authorities given the opportunity to speak to him? What a fascinating, yet scary, and helpless story! They had sailed on the Elation to celebrate their pending retirement. 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. Several people have vanished aboard cruise liners, leaving their friends and families heartbroken and confused. Given the last minute cruise reservation, one outfit, the divorce and losing custody of her daughter, I believe Merriam committed suicide. The coast guard began an 84-hour search that spanned 25,900 square kilometers (10,000 mi2), but they were unable to find Fariba. Life is mystery, McGill reportedly said. 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. No one filed a police report; no one contacted the family. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. A Topeka, Kansas, man was arrested this week for allegedly killing his girlfriend on a cruise ship in January, prosecutors said. 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. The search for his body was called off after four days.[4]. Almarosa Tenorio Passenger Death Aboard Royal Princess On Tuesday November 13, 2018, Almarosa Tenorio, 52, a teacher fromSpanish Fort, Alabama was aboard Princess Cruises shipRoyal Princess when she fell to her death. Im sure Someone else theorized this, Your email address will not be published. Cruise Ship Murders A person that is killed by someone, the involvement of a perpetrator is required and where suicide is excluded. As some of you know, I was fortunate enough to be the writer-expert for a true crime documentary show calledCruise 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. He loved her with all his heart, White, a Ventura resident, said in an interview. What a tragic story. That said, this case really disturbed me, due to the cover up by the cruise line (one I happen to sail on). Was she OK? Why wouldnt the stewards supervisor have sounded an alarm when informed she was missingif he had nothing to hide? The supervisor probably knows what happened. The county closed it in June because of dwindling attendance. Their marriage was the most important thing in his life," Paul White, a teacher at the school where McGill taught, told the AP. I wake up every morning praying that no other mother ever has to live this nightmare. I killed her.. "They were childhood sweethearts.". Learn how your comment data is processed. Authorities believe that Halford went missing sometime between 11:45 PM on April 6 and 7:30 AM on April 7. Why wouldnt the cruise-ship employees want to find out the truth? Click Customise Cookies to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do you know anything about the claims by Canadian authorities that they thought the found Merrians bones? My guess is she was pregnant and he didnt want any part of that. ", Carnival issued a statement saying, "The situation was handled appropriately and reported to all applicable law enforcement authorities.". But when the weather report comes in for the evening showing no wind, a murder investigation begins.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. Authorities believe that the couple committed suicide by jumping into the sea together. No, shes dead. But when the weather report comes in for the evening showing no wind, a murder investigation begins. Its really scary. 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. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says, under fire recently for the way it deals with onboard crimes. Maybe he was worried about losing his job so he covered up the suicide and took the suicide letter and money. Their son, Michael Pham, testified before Congress to urge tougher regulation of safety practices on cruise lines. "I know that she would never have knowingly or willingly ingested that," Jamie said. Christopher Caldwell and his fiancee, Crystal Tinder, went on a Carnival cruise in July 2004 to Mexico. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. they would have too many lawsuits because they take responsibility for NOTHING. A new mystery on the high seas is the latest to plague the cruise ship industry, which has been under fire recently for the way it deals with onboard crimes. She ordered 2 sandwiches and to me its kinda strange. Her dad returned to the balcony at 6:00 AM to check on Amy, but she was no longer there. 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. After the ship docked, her possessions were packed away. They really enjoyed it. How did she disappear? ", Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen added to ABC News on Friday, "We continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities, but this is now a matter for federal prosecutors.". Because you dont have that. Thats terrible that the cruise line basically covered it up. He appeared without handcuffs and wore a white jumpsuit. The investigator was allowed onto the ship, but wasnt permitted to speak to anyone, including the ships security officer. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. Clues to her disappearance are detailed in a diary discovered in her cabin. This was a strange cruise case. They might have erased the surveillance tapes when they saw the crime. The discovery led FBI agents to intercept the Carnival Elation cruise ship while it was at sea and interview dozens of witnesses, including Robert McGill. A passenger aboard Brilliance of the Seas claimed that he heard men arguing in the Smiths room. I tend to doubt it. All told, hedspent $75,000 on investigators and lawyers and still had no idea what had happened to his daughter, though he believed her to be deceased. Good questions. His reaction does seem strange. But he never returned to their cabin.[6]. He was placed in the brig and about 20 FBI agents intercepted the ship on a U.S. Coast Guard cutter late Wednesday and interviewed McGill and more than 50 witnesses while the Elation was still at sea. Authorities believe that she fell or was pushed overboard, but some strange facts emerged about her vanishing. Such a tragedy that these crimes (I believe it WAS a crime) can be covered up so easily, leaving no closure or justice for the families. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Try again. When they asked about his wife, he told them he had killed her, according to court records. If she jumped off her balcony, its not that far fetched that she would not wear shoes or even many clothes (after all, shes committing suicide). He killed her and tossed her overboard. The San Diego County medical examiner's office said she died of strangulation and blunt force injury to the head and torso. My overall impression is that more than one person is covering up, for reasons of their own. i read a lot of true crime, watch documentaries, id tv, forensic files.the criminal mind fascinates me. No, she didn't. It is believed that he went overboard due to an accident on the ship. "Bob and Shirley never said anything negative about each other," Michael Hougardy, a neighbor in McGills' cul-de-sac in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, told The Associated Press. She supposedly was having a relationship with an unidentified cruise member. One thing I learned from Cruise Ship Killers: never use the casino, or tell people youre going to the washroom. She easily could have been pushedor have jumpedfrom this deck. "The ships medical team responded immediately, but, unfortunately, she passed away.". 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? Its just my theory. I feel the same. The couple was on a five-day cruise to Mexico, and it was the husband's 55th birthday. Tucker, of Lawson, Missouri, was a professor of social work at Park University in Missouri, The Kansas City Star said. Tucker fell from her "balcony to several decks below early on the morning of Jan. 19," Carnival said in a statement the day after her death. 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. That night, Barnett's mother got a phone call she never could have imagined from the ship's nurse. 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. But at one of the many stops along the way, a grizzly discovery is made when crew membersfind the widower's body crammed into her own suitcase. Cruise Ship Killers | Season 1 | Episode 16 | Erica | John Barnard | J.H. A 40-year-old disappears on the second night of a cruise, her family is left searching for answers and it ends up changing the way missing persons are reported at sea. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie Preferences, as described in the Cookie Notice. Eric Newman appears in this 2013 mugshot provided by the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. 2. Authorities believe that he jumped into the water on purpose. Featuring interviews with family, friends, investigators and experts. On the final day of the trip, she disappeared from Carnivals ship The Pride. There are other explanations for that, though. i too believe she was murdered. Everybody loved her. It sounds like something out of a movie: Teenage lovers break up and drift apart, only to reunite three decades later, fall in love again, and get married. The stewards supervisor might have suspected and covered up the killing for that reason, or the cruise line could have instructed employees to cover up evidence of crimes to protect their reputation. Merrian didnt use the cruise ships currency card during the two days she was on board. When Carver contacted Royal Caribbean to confirm his daughter had been on the ship, it took them three days to get back to him. In 2005, Hue Pham, 71, and Hue Tran, 67, took a seven-night Mothers Day cruise in the Caribbean with their daughter and granddaughter. Definitely something fishy here, and I dont mean Alaskan salmon. As her family hadnt known that Carver was on the ship, the police needed time to trace her there. I know Ive done a horrible thing.. But the end of the late-in-life romance between Robert and Shirley McGill turned out to be something from a horror film. He noticed she only had two handbags (purses), one dress, and one pair of sandals. In 2004 a 40-year-old lady named Merrian was taking a cruise to Alaska on board the Celebrity Mercury. It took 26 days after Merrian's disappearance for her to be reported as a missing person and for the search for her to start. 44min. ", When she died, Barnett was working for composer John Debny, who remarked to Lagattuta: "No one is forthcoming. 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. congratulations on the documentary. Again. Two years later, he married Shirley McGill in Las Vegas. It wasn't immediately clear to what McGill was referring. 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. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. Eric Newman was on the Carnival Elation ship on a four-day cruise to the Bahamas when he allegedly killed 50-year-old Tamara Tucker on Jan. 19, the Justice Department said in a news release Thursday. Shirley McGills children from a previous marriage and her elderly parents gasped in relief when the judge announced the sentence. A risk-management manager for the cruise line told him that no alarm had been raised after his daughters disappearance, since it was normal for people to leave their belongings behind, and normal for them to suddenly change their rooms without notice. What a frustrating story. Wheres your wife, Shirley? This is a joke. Son Noel Salazar said that whatever McGill had accomplished it could not outweigh the killing, which has devastated the family. "On Oct. 15, 2005," Allred told a news conference, "Ashley's boyfriend ran into the hallway screaming for help. She was last seen when the ship was around 48 kilometers (30 mi) off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico. 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