Kenneth Manzanares sentenced to 30 years in wife's cruise ship death

JUNEAU, Alaska (TCD) --

A Utah man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for killing his wife aboard a cruise ship in 2017.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska announced 43-year-old Kenneth Manzanares's sentence. Manzanares is sentenced to five years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to the Associated Press, Manzanares's attorney Jamie McGrady will appeal the length of the sentence.

Manzanares pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing his wife Kristy on July 25, 2017. The family was aboard an Emerald Princess cruise ship on the U.S. Territorial Waters near southeast Alaska. According to the Attorney's Office, their three kids as well as some extended family members were on the cruise when the killing occurred.

The statement said on the night of Kristy's death, she and Kenneth got into an argument in their cabin about his behavior that night. She reportedly told him she wanted a divorce and that he should get off the boat in Juneau and fly back to Utah. Their children reportedly went to a family member's adjoining room. They heard Kristy scream and tried opening the door into Kristy and Kenneth's room, but he told them, "Don't come in here."

Kenneth and Kristy's daughters reportedly went out to the balcony and saw their father punching Kristy in the head. Kristy's two brothers and her father showed up to help and reportedly saw Kenneth dragging her body by the ankles. Medical personnel and security officials arrived and attempted to perform life-saving measures, the Attorney's Office said. However, they were unsuccessful and she was declared dead.

Kenneth was arrested on July 26, 2017, and has been in federal custody ever since.

According to the Attorney's Office, Kristy died from blunt force trauma to the head.

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