Man sentenced for beating his wife to death on Alaska cruise dies

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – A Utah man who was sentenced to 30 years in prison last month for beating his wife to death on an Alaska cruise has died, the Department of Corrections for Alaska.

Kenneth Manzanares was being held by the department at a Juneau facility when he was found unconscious in his cell Wednesday morning, the department said in a statement. Rescue measures were attempted, but he was later pronounced dead, the department said.

Manzanares is the seventh person to die in departmental custody this year, according to the department, which said all deaths were being reviewed by Alaska state soldiers and the state medical examiner’s office. According to the Department of Corrections, he was 43 years old.

Betsy Holley, a spokeswoman for the department, said by email on Friday that information “related to the state of health of an inmate is confidential,” but said no foul play was suspected in the death from Manzanares. She said Manzanares was alone in his cell when he was found by officers.

An email requesting comment was also sent to Manzanares’ lawyer on Friday.

Manzanares pleaded guilty last year to second degree murder in the death of his wife, Kristy Manzanares, 39, of Santa Clara, Utah, while on a cruise to Alaska in 2017. He was convicted on last month for a crime the federal judge overseeing the case called violent and brutal.

Manzanares’ lawyers, in a court file, said he had brain abnormalities that a defense expert found compatible with injuries from contact sports. This, combined with what at the time was undiagnosed bipolar disorder and “a problematic combination of prescription drugs and alcohol resulted in an aberrant episode of violence,” the file says.

Prosecutors disputed the defense medical claims.