His body was never found. Thats terrible that the cruise line basically covered it up. Everyone has dark moments in their lives, and its a shame they can be used against us if we go missing. The couple had been high school sweethearts and then broke up. Maybe he was worried about losing his job so he covered up the suicide and took the suicide letter and money. Shirley McGills children from a previous marriage and her elderly parents gasped in relief when the judge announced the sentence. He was initially charged with first-degree murder. 1. I believe the key to this story is her lack of luggage, clothes etc Suicide is pretty likely. 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. On the final day of the trip, she disappeared from Carnivals ship The Pride. How much he had is not known, but witnesses said he could barely walk when he returned to the ship. McGill was distraught during the brief hearing and argued with federal public defenders about whether he could make a statement to the court as his family members sobbed in the gallery. Shirley McGill turned 55 just six days before she died. So he killed her. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. When Ramiz woke up, Fariba still had not returned. Clues to her disappearance are detailed in a diary discovered in her cabin. Skeletal remains found in Pennsylvania identified as man missing since 2013 Its not good publicity and results in very costly lawsuits. congratulations on the documentary. It worked. I feel the same way, Kimberlythat it was a crime. January 19, 2018. Aztecs to honor 8 on Senior Night against Wyoming, but are all of them leaving? The county closed it in June because of dwindling attendance. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison when sentenced Nov. 8. I tend to doubt it. 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 scratch and win ticket unveils an all-expense paid cruise for a young couple; but their luck runs out once aboard the ship as one of them ends up murdered. 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. When a crime is committed on a cruise ship, it rarely is investigated properly or promptly reported. McGill was divorced when he reconnected with Shirley through the Internet, colleagues said. 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. He was looking forward to it.". The attorney who handled the case did not immediately return a call seeking comment. On May 12, a ship employee found two passports, two pairs of flip-flops . That doesnt explain why the steward who was concerned for her was told to keep his mouth shut, or why her belongings were disposed of and her family was not notified. Shirley McGill, 55, was killed on July 14, 2009, aboard the Carnival cruise ship Elation. Shirleys dead and I killed her, he said, according to the court papers. Its just my theory. When the cruise ship docked the next morning, he was not in his room or anywhere else on the ship. McGill was going to join her when he retired. But their luck takes a turn at the apex of their journey, with many wondering what happened aboard the ship. Spending my holiday on a floating hotel never appealed, but even less so now. After he admitted killing his wife, the other couple reported him to Carnival Cruise Lines security, who confronted the man on deck, according to court papers. I disagree. Meanwhile, Merrians13-year-old daughter, who lived with her dad, grew concerned when she couldnt reach her mother on the telephone. First published on April 5, 2006 / 8:22 AM. } Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Forge said the brutal death of Shirley McGill overshadowed her husbands career. Some theories claim that she was swept overboard while at the pool. Sorry for the late response. Daniel Kueblboeck, a German pop star, was famous for a short time on the talent show Germany Seeks the Superstar. I really dont have the words to make anyone feel better, said McGill. I havent read any comments so maybe others already brought up this theory. This video is currently unavailable. "They're suffering now," McGill was heard saying as he gestured to his family. U.S. District Magistrate William McCurine Jr. entered a plea of not guilty on McGill's behalf, as is common practice in federal court at initial appearances. Is it on TV yet? Everybody loved her. On April 6, 2011, John Halford went missing while aboard Thomson Cruises Thomson Spirit. 1 Hue Pham And Hue Tran. Given the last minute cruise reservation, one outfit, the divorce and losing custody of her daughter, I believe Merriam committed suicide. The same thing happened with Elisa Lam. People who are determined and serious about committing suicide are good at hiding sadness. they would have too many lawsuits because they take responsibility for NOTHING. In December 2004, 37-year-old Annette Mizener embarked on a nine-day cruise with her parents and daughter. Through investigating her financial records, the police discovered credit-card charges for the round trip to Seattle and the Alaskan cruise. ", When she died, Barnett was working for composer John Debny, who remarked to Lagattuta: "No one is forthcoming. ", Jamie, crying, told reporters: "I wake up every morning wishing I could hold her just one more time. He told her he would be back shortly. "That's putting more financial burden on top of the pain and horror that I've caused this family," he added before the hearing resumed. In 2015, the FBI closed their investigation into the disappearance of Smith. ", 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.". Police and the FBI also failed to find any evidence or trace of her during their investigation on the ship. Cruise Ship Killers (2020- ) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Directed by Series Writing Credits Series Cast Series Produced by Series Music by Series Cinematography by Series Film Editing by Series Casting By Series Set Decoration by Series Makeup Department Series Production Management Frantic, she contacted Kendall Carver, Merrians dad, who reported his daughter missing to the Cambridge, Massachusetts police when he also couldnt reach her. Learn how your comment data is processed. But Barnett's friends and family say Carnival has been stonewalling them. ", Carnival issued a statement saying, "The situation was handled appropriately and reported to all applicable law enforcement authorities.". 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. Merrian booked passage on the cruise only two days before it sailed, and brought two handbags, but no suitcases, on board. In bankruptcy papers, McGill listed assets of $50,000 to $100,000 and debts of $100,000 to $500,000. In two years of letter writing, White said his friend has never explained why he killed his sweetheart. Newlyweds board a cruise ship, but things take a turn for the worse when one disappears in the middle of the night. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I ask all commenters to keep in mind that Merrians daughter and other family members are still alive and may see this post and the comments. What a fascinating, yet scary, and helpless story! Im not saying there wasnt a crime here, but it could just be money hungry corporate goons trying to eliminate hysteria to preserve the almighty bottom line. A professors assistant goes missing at sea near the end of a long voyage. Shirley McGill was beaten and strangled to death on the bathroom floor of a cruise ship cabin at the hands of her husband. Mizeners beaded purse was found with beads missing near a smoking deck. He took her body to a place he could hide it to dispose of it later. When Monteiro checked on Merrians cabin the following morning, her bed had not been slept in. MoncrieffWebsite By Elise Epp Design and Amanda Weber. A savvy poker player cleans up at the tables once at sea. When Carver contacted Royal Caribbean to confirm his daughter had been on the ship, it took them three days to get back to him. So she didnt raise her voice or yell/scream. An average of ten Americans disappear from cruise ships every year. He drank heavily in Cabo that day before re-boarding the ship for the trip home. 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. They truly are the wild west. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? A Topeka, Kansas, man was arrested this week for allegedly killing his girlfriend on a cruise ship in January, prosecutors said. By that time, the trail had gone cold.[9]. In July 2005, George Allen Smith IV and his wife, Jennifer, were celebrating their two-week-long honeymoon on a cruise from Greece to Turkey when he mysteriously disappeared. Moncrieff, Damian Turner #CruiseShipKillers #CrimeTV #BreakthroughEntertainment But the end of the late-in-life romance between Robert and Shirley McGill turned out to be something from a horror film. He eventually fell asleep. Perhaps you can help us figure out what happened to Julie Weflen. Robert McGill, 57, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in July, and his lawyers were seeking a sentence of slightly more than 11 years in prison. What a tragic story. Robert McGill was arrested when the ship docked in San Diego. #inline-recirc-item--id-d44635f2-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { 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. He disappeared after reportedly either jumping or falling from a cruise ship. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue.