AK - Kristy Manzanares, 39, killed aboard Emerald Princess, Juneau, 25 July 2017 *husband arrested*

May 14, 2018

In a motion for more detailed information about the federal indictment against him, Manzanares’ defense attorneys challenged the notion that Kristy’s death was premeditated murder.

“Evidence of the prior relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Manzanares fails to show any motive for the killing. Nothing in the discovery suggests that the attack was planned or designed in advance. Statements from interviewed witnesses are uniformly consistent that Mr. Manzanares and his wife enjoyed a happy, stable, and mutually supportive relationship free of domestic violence,” defense attorney Rich Curtner wrote.

He also said there was no evidence of a weapon being used to kill her.

“By all accounts, the attack took place over the course of a matter of minutes, and involved the use of bare hands,” Curtner wrote.

[...]

That evidence “includes reports of the investigation, interviews with various witnesses including audio and video recordings, a recorded interview of the defendant where he admits striking the victim, seeing blood and hitting the victim again, crime scene photographs, and written reports of ship personnel who responded to the crime scene,” wrote assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt.

“In addition to those reports, a medical examiner’s report and all accompanying documents and photographs depicting the severe facial and cranial injuries suffered by the victim at the hands of the defendant,” he added. bbm

Court documents reveal new details in cruise ship murder of St. George woman

 

OMG bare hands? that's a lot of rage IMO. and her family around? brutal IMO

 

I'm not sure that the terminology of "at the hands of" means it was done with his bare hands.

It possibly just means that he did it, it was at his hands. It's terminology that I have heard people use.

 

Per the article above the defense attorney stated there was no evidence of a weapon used. Per KM’s own admittance he hit her saw blood on his hands and hit her again. One can then conclude in this case he beat her to death “with his bare hands” literally.
My own honest opinion here is that he was likely very intoxicated at the time and went into a complete rage. Based on the daughter’s previous comment that she knew her father would do this, I do believe there was likely a history of domestic abuse that was hidden behind close doors. Perhaps associated with alcohol consumption. Some people can just be really mean and violent drunks.
I do, however, believe he has a good relationship with his daughters and this is why he is changing his plea. To avoid them having to go through a trial. <modsnip -sleuthing minor child > Again all JMHO

 

This is coming from KM's defense attorney (Curtner):

 

Replying to myself to make a correction. It’s the oldest daughter with special needs. Though i’m Certain any good father would not want to re-traumatize any of his daughters by making them go through a trial and potentially having to testify. Moo

 

Thursday, November 21st:
*Change of Plea Hearing (@ 1pm PT) - AK - Kristy Manzanares (39) (July 25, 2017 on Alaskan cruise ship) - *Kenneth Ray Manzanares (39), (husband) charged (7/27/17) & indicted (8/17/17) on 1st degree Federal Murder. Plead not guilty on 8/23/17. DA will not seek DP.
Trial date was set for 10/23/17, was delayed on 9/18/17; new trial date is 11/5/18, was delayed to 5/20/19 & delayed to 9/9/19 which was vacated for change of plea. Final pretrial conference hearing @ 8:30am on 9/9 & trial starts at 9am. Trial date 9/9/19 was vacated re change of plea.
6/14/19 Update: A plea deal appears to be in the works from federal prosecutors. According to court documents filed Friday in U.S. District Court of Alaska, federal prosecutors asked that upcoming deadlines in Manzanares’ case be cancelled.
6/17/19: ORDER GRANTING 102 Unopposed Motion for Modification of Pre-trial Deadlines Filed on Shortened Time as to Manzanares (1). The Pretrial Deadlines set out in 101 Second Amended Case Scheduling Order at paragraphs 1-7 are modified to reflect that those filings are now due on or before August 12, 2019. Maybe NO TRIAL, going for plea deal.
8/5/19 Update: Motion filed Notice of Intent to change plea. Scheduled for Nov. 21.

 

Manzanares likely to avoid trial

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Lawyers put off for months any trial in a cruise ship murder case and now have scheduled the case for a change of plea hearing.

A change of plea hearing has been set for Kenneth Manzanares of Utah on November 21 in US District Court.

He is accused of killing his wife Christy on board a cruise ship in Juneau on July 25, 2017. She died from a severe head injury.

According to court documents, people surrounding the couple’s cabin on the cruise ship reported hearing loud screaming.

A family member who found Kristy Manzanares’ body reported she saw Kenneth Manzanares drag her body toward a balcony on the ship.

 

I hope he pleads guilty. That is only fair to their children and her family.

 

^^sbm

The defendant's plea deal has been in the works since February and motions were filed to cancel his hearings including the May trial date.

Today's "change of plea" hearing is expected to wrap that up. This was a no-win situation for the family. I also suspect there's some mental issues with this man. He killed her with his bare hands with all of her family around.

 

Anything?? Did he plead guilty? And was he sentenced right away or is there a date.... questions, questions....
TIA!

 

11/15/19

Case No. 1:17-cr-00010-TMB

UNOPPOSED MOTION TO CONTINUE PROPOSED CHANGE OF PLEA HEARING

The hearing scheduled for 11/21/19 was continued for a date in January 2020 convenient to the parties & the court to allow the government's expert to examine the defendant.

The Government did not oppose the motion and hearing on 11/21/19 was vacated and reset for 1/21/2020 at 1 pm in Juneau Courtroom.


11/15/2019
#111
UNOPPOSED MOTION to Continue Proposed Change of Plea Hearing by Kenneth Manzanares. (Attachments: # 1 Proposed Order)(McGrady, Jamie) (Entered: 11/15/2019)

11/18/2019
#112
TMB TEXT ORDER GRANTING 111 Unopposed Motion to Continue Change of Plea Hearing as to Kenneth Manzanares (1). The Proposed Change of Plea Hearing set for 11/21/2019 at 1:00 PM is VACATED and RESET FOR 1/21/20 at 1:00 PM in Juneau Courtroom before Judge Timothy M. Burgess. (NMG, CHAMBERS STAFF) (Entered: 11/18/2019)

 

Thanks Seattle1!

 

Proposed Change of Plea Hearing RESET for 2/5/2020 at 11:30 AM
CM/ECF District of Alaska Version 6.1 LIVE DB-login
CM/ECF District of Alaska Version 6.1 LIVE DB-U.S. District Court
U.S. District Court
District of Alaska (Juneau)
CRIMINAL DOCKET FOR CASE #: 1:17-cr-00010-TMB All Defendants
Case title: USA v. Manzanares
Magistrate judge case number: 1:17-mj-00023-LCL

Date Filed: 08/17/2017
Defendant (1)
Kenneth Manzanares

Date Filed # Docket Text
12/19/2019 113 TMB TEXT ORDER RESETTING HEARING as to Kenneth Manzanares. Due to judicial trial conflicts, the Proposed Change of Plea Hearing set for 1/21/20 at 1:00 PM is VACATED and RESET for 2/5/2020 at 11:30 AM in Juneau Courtroom before Judge Timothy M. Burgess. (NMG, CHAMBERS STAFF) (Entered: 12/19/2019)
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Thanks for update court date at 2/5/20 at 11:30 AM

Bringing forward information on the detailed process to change plea in US District Court (criminal court).


AS KM is changing his plea from not guilty to guilty, this plea agreement has to be put into writing, and the Court has to enter the plea agreement on the record.

The Court has to go through the plea agreement with KM to make sure he understands it. Judge has to affirm 3 things:

• The defendant who is entering the plea agreement knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily. The Court will go over the plea agreement with the defendant and will ask them a series of questions. The court will tell a defendant what they're agreeing to plead guilty to, what the normal range of sentence is and what charges, if any, the US District Court is dropping or dismissing and what sentence they'll be facing if they enter the plea agreement.
• The Court will also make sure the defendant is intelligently entering the plea agreement; advise a defendant of what rights they are giving up by entering the plea agreement; explain the defendant is giving up the right to remain silent; giving up the right to be represented by an attorney at trial; defendant gives up the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, or gives up their right to a jury trial in a felony case. The Judge wants to make sure that the defendant understands that they're giving up those rights.
• The Judge will also ask the defendant if anybody has made any threats or promises to them that are not in the plea agreement. So, the Judge needs to determine if the plea agreement is voluntarily made.

I have to keep reminding myself this is US District Court and not State Court.

Felony Change of Plea | The Law Offices of Shawn B. Hamp

@Niner