Suspicious Death on Carnival Sunshine

[ninjacat123]

12 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

I had a client whose husband disappeared on an Alaskan cruise (not Carnival) and was presumed murdered.  They suspect it was some sort of robbery gone wrong as he was wealthy.   

The husband was never found?  Sounds bad for the wife if she has to wait seven years to collect on his insurance if there isn't a body.  But maybe it's different now🤷‍♀️

[Eli_6]

21 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

The husband was never found?  Sounds bad for the wife if she has to wait seven years to collect on his insurance if there isn't a body.  But maybe it's different now🤷‍♀️

As far as I know. This was years ago. I only heard the story through my boss and obviously wasn't going to ask the woman about it.  I recall googling at the time and finding information on it. I just tried to google again, but now I only get information about a passenger going missing from 2022 and this was more like 15+ years ago. 

 

Then I came across this and apparently a lot of people have gone missing over the years: https://listverse.com/2020/08/26/top-10-people-who-mysteriously-vanished-from-cruise-ships/

[mz-s]

There is a show on TV called Cruise Ship Killers that I watch sometimes, but it turns out that at least some of the stories told in the show are probably fake.

[ninjacat123]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

As far as I know. This was years ago. I only heard the story through my boss and obviously wasn't going to ask the woman about it.  I recall googling at the time and finding information on it. I just tried to google again, but now I only get information about a passenger going missing from 2022 and this was more like 15+ years ago. 

 

Then I came across this and apparently a lot of people have gone missing over the years: https://listverse.com/2020/08/26/top-10-people-who-mysteriously-vanished-from-cruise-ships/

Very interesting!  Thanks for posting!

[ProgRockCruiser]

20 hours ago, mz-s said:

There is a show on TV ... but it turns out that at least some of the stories told in the show are probably fake.

What are the odds?

 

🙄

 

😆

 

I have friends who have been part of so-called "documentaries" and the lengths the shows go to stretch un-related "facts" (if even that) into the tangled web of entertainment that results is quite remarkable.

 

And I'm not even talking Maury or Jerry Springer (I also know someone who was on that with a very fake story - but it was infinitely entertaining!) 

[sanger727]

On 3/7/2023 at 3:27 PM, teknoge3k said:

 

That must be an Ohio thing. My mom died in her house, no police showed up. My wifes grandfather died in his house, no police showed up. My next door neighbor died in his house, no police showed up. This has happened in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. 

 

Ok, now I'm just curious. In those situations and someone dies in their house, who did you call and what happened next? Someone has to make the decision on whether the coroner comes for the body or if it can be released to a funeral home. 

[teknoge3k]

3 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

Ok, now I'm just curious. In those situations and someone dies in their house, who did you call and what happened next? Someone has to make the decision on whether the coroner comes for the body or if it can be released to a funeral home. 

 

In 2 of my instances (wifes grandfather and next door neighbor), EMS came to the residences and then had the funeral home come pick up the bodies. In the instance of my mom, my wife is a nurse and knew when she was gone. She notified her home health agency and they notified the funeral home to come out. 

[sanger727]

Just now, teknoge3k said:

 

In 2 of my instances (wifes grandfather and next door neighbor), EMS came to the residences and then had the funeral home come pick up the bodies. In the instance of my mom, my wife is a nurse and knew when she was gone. She notified her home health agency and they notified the funeral home to come out. 

 

OK, then the EMS must fulfill the job of the police in Ohio. Someone has to review the person's medical history and determine if they have a health condition that can explain the death. Also to review the scene for drug paraphernalia or anything else out of the norm. I assume the home health agency was invovled in hospice care, that's really the only time a death at home doesn't need some investigation. 

[teknoge3k]

1 minute ago, sanger727 said:

 

OK, then the EMS must fulfill the job of the police in Ohio. Someone has to review the person's medical history and determine if they have a health condition that can explain the death. Also to review the scene for drug paraphernalia or anything else out of the norm. I assume the home health agency was invovled in hospice care, that's really the only time a death at home doesn't need some investigation. 

 

I used to be a medic with the fire department many years ago. Of course protocols change over the years but back when I was a member, we could make the call then as well. If nothing was suspicious, we would have our dispatch notify the funeral home to come collect the body. If something looked suspicious, then we would have the police dispatched. 

[sanger727]

Just now, teknoge3k said:

 

I used to be a medic with the fire department many years ago. Of course protocols change over the years but back when I was a member, we could make the call then as well. If nothing was suspicious, we would have our dispatch notify the funeral home to come collect the body. If something looked suspicious, then we would have the police dispatched. 

 

Maybe they trusted the medics in your area more than we trust ours? Or just times changing with so many overdose deaths and/or lawsuits? The medics here aren't even allowed to declare someone dead. If someone is dead the police are called. All of their medications are collected as well as any information on doctors. The coroner's office is called and they attempt to make contact with the doctor to get a medical history. Only after everything checks out, you can use the on call doctor with the coroner's office to declare the death and call the funeral home. Otherwise it goes to the coroner and they declare the death and do an autopsy.

[AFS1970]

Nothing to do with cruise ships, but in my town, the police will not say someone is dead until a medic says it, even when painfully obvious. A couple of months ago there was a case where someone had been dead for approximately a year, inside an apartment. State Marshal was there to do an eviction and found the body, local police responded, essentially a mummy in the building, still called for EMS, who from what I have been told looked in the door and said, yup, he's dead, and left. No advanced skills or equipment needed. 

 

As for this case on the ship, I understand the FBI gets notified of all deaths and decides if they will investigate based on the details. Most that appear natural do not get investigated. In this case with a 37-year-old female, they will investigate because that is still a relatively rare occurrence. They may be trying to rule out any suspicious circumstances. However since there were few if any details given to the media, the headlines were the story.

[cacruisin]

Just read a follow up article on the situation, the FBI has requested search warrants for both their room on the ship, and also their vehicle.  That said, they still believe it to be a medical situation.

[Buckeyefrank100]

1 hour ago, cacruisin said:

Just read a follow up article on the situation, the FBI has requested search warrants for both their room on the ship, and also their vehicle.  That said, they still believe it to be a medical situation.

Carnival can say whatever they want to help with public relations.  The FBI requesting search warrants do not lead me to think of a medical situation.  In Ohio we just had a man go missing and was found dead wrapped up inside carpet and plastic.  Authorities ruled his death natural causes.  Not sure how a dead person can wrap himself up in carpet, but OK.

[ProgRockCruiser]

48 minutes ago, Buckeyefrank100 said:

Carnival can say whatever they want to help with public relations.  The FBI requesting search warrants do not lead me to think of a medical situation.  In Ohio we just had a man go missing and was found dead wrapped up inside carpet and plastic.  Authorities ruled his death natural causes.  Not sure how a dead person can wrap himself up in carpet, but OK.

Easy: they died of natural causes, then someone else wrapped them up, to hide the body for whatever reason.  Maybe it was an elder being exploited, maybe it was something else.

[luv2trvlnow]

I live in Oklahoma.  My aunt (Mother's siter) was living with my parents.  One morning my mother went to her sister's room because it was later than she normally was up.  She found her dead by the closet.  She called 911 and the police and EMS showed up.  My mother called me because she was upset.  I went over.  The EMS pronouced her dead.  The police asked if she had any medical conditions.  I told them yes and they asked for her doctor's name.  They called the doctor and found out she was awaiting approval for an experimental surgery on her heart.  The doctor said that with this condition she could die suddenly.  With that information the police said it was of natural causes (not suspicious) and an autopsy would not be needed.  

[ninjacat123]

5 minutes ago, luv2trvlnow said:

I live in Oklahoma.  My aunt (Mother's siter) was living with my parents.  One morning my mother went to her sister's room because it was later than she normally was up.  She found her dead by the closet.  She called 911 and the police and EMS showed up.  My mother called me because she was upset.  I went over.  The EMS pronouced her dead.  The police asked if she had any medical conditions.  I told them yes and they asked for her doctor's name.  They called the doctor and found out she was awaiting approval for an experimental surgery on her heart.  The doctor said that with this condition she could die suddenly.  With that information the police said it was of natural causes (not suspicious) and an autopsy would not be needed.  

So sorry for your mom and your family's loss.

[momof4boys]

On 3/6/2023 at 3:03 PM, Cyn874 said:

It's a bit unnerving to me because I'm sailing on the Sunshine in May.

Are  you traveling with her husband?   You will probably be ok   

[scottasp]

On 3/8/2023 at 1:36 PM, mz-s said:

There is a show on TV called Cruise Ship Killers that I watch sometimes, but it turns out that at least some of the stories told in the show are probably fake.

I don't trust anything I see on TV anymore. I just get all my facts on the internet where I am pretty sure they have to be true.

[1kaper]

19 hours ago, AFS1970 said:

Nothing to do with cruise ships, but in my town, the police will not say someone is dead until a medic says it, even when painfully obvious.

 

Here the police can only pronounce death in specific situations.  Like (I can't remember the word for it at the moment) if the body is severed in two or extreme decomposition.  Medics can. 
 

[Buckeyefrank100]

16 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

Easy: they died of natural causes, then someone else wrapped them up, to hide the body for whatever reason.  Maybe it was an elder being exploited, maybe it was something else.

Except the man was likely in his 40s based on appearance and was seen on camera walking with another man in a field...  And wrapping up a dead person in carpet and plastic (even if that person didn't kill him) is a crime in itself.

[shof515]

20 hours ago, cacruisin said:

Just read a follow up article on the situation, the FBI has requested search warrants for both their room on the ship, and also their vehicle.  That said, they still believe it to be a medical situation.

 

how does this work if other peopled booked the same room and its already been like 2-3 sailings since incident took place? any evidence might of been long gone since the stewards have to turn over the rooms on turnaround day 

[sc4125]

On 3/7/2023 at 3:27 PM, teknoge3k said:

 

That must be an Ohio thing. My mom died in her house, no police showed up. My wifes grandfather died in his house, no police showed up. My next door neighbor died in his house, no police showed up. This has happened in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. 

I live in Florida and was a victim advocate with a Sheriff's office.  Our deputies were called to many homes where it was pretty apparent it was a natural death.  All deaths are considered suspicious until they aren't.  While on scene, if it appears it was natural, the deputy attempts to contact the deceased's doctor to see if he/she will sign a death certificate - if not, the body is taken to the Medical Examiner and he/she will either sign off or perform an autopsy.  

 

Who removed your mother's body?  Typically if a funeral home is called to remove the body, they will not do so until law enforcement gives them the okay.  People under hospice care and die at home are a different circumstance.

[teknoge3k]

5 minutes ago, sc4125 said:

I live in Florida and was a victim advocate with a Sheriff's office.  Our deputies were called to many homes where it was pretty apparent it was a natural death.  All deaths are considered suspicious until they aren't.  While on scene, if it appears it was natural, the deputy attempts to contact the deceased's doctor to see if he/she will sign a death certificate - if not, the body is taken to the Medical Examiner and he/she will either sign off or perform an autopsy.  

 

Who removed your mother's body?  Typically if a funeral home is called to remove the body, they will not do so until law enforcement gives them the okay.  People under hospice care and die at home are a different circumstance.

 

In all 3 instances that I mentioned, the funeral home came and removed the bodies. This is common around here. Each state has different SOPs. 

[chengkp75]

2 hours ago, teknoge3k said:

 

In all 3 instances that I mentioned, the funeral home came and removed the bodies. This is common around here. Each state has different SOPs. 

Yes, in Virginia, funeral homes are authorized to transport bodies.  It is my understanding, though, that when a person dies when not under a doctor's care, that the attending EMT, police, or funeral home, must notify the coroner of the death, and the coroner must examine the body before transport.  Only the coroner, or an attending physician, can issue a certificate of death.

[StephPS79]

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

 

how does this work if other peopled booked the same room and its already been like 2-3 sailings since incident took place? any evidence might of been long gone since the stewards have to turn over the rooms on turnaround day 

I'm assuming any booked occupants of this room were relocated.