FL FL - Kevin McGrath, 26, missing from a cruise ship, Miami, 4 Sept 2023

[HollyHunter9]

I'm in the UK and do not have much experience with cruises or ships but one thing I've not seen reported anywhere (unless I've missed it)..Is what about his belongings? Clothes, suitcase etc? Are they missing too? If he was only supposed to be on a 2 night cruise then have the cruise company emptied his room and cleaned etc? Do they have cleaners like in hotels? Which, if he's still missing wouldn't that be tampering with a potential crime scene? Something really does not add up about this.

 

[Lilibet]

Does anyone feel like they can make sense of the timeline and possibilities in this case?

I’ve noticed that in initial reporting media tends to get its info from other media, rather than doing their own legwork. Even quotes from family can conflict with other stories. So errors are magnified until an official timeline comes out. Thankfully, LE probably has the timeline nailed down, but the media is still running in circles, keeping us confused.
Here’s hoping Kevin is safe somewhere. If I were family, I’d insist that the ship is searched again, even though it has set sail. There are nooks and crannies and searches aren’t always thorough.

JMO

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

I'm in the UK and do not have much experience with cruises or ships but one thing I've not seen reported anywhere (unless I've missed it)..Is what about his belongings? Clothes, suitcase etc? Are they missing too? If he was only supposed to be on a 2 night cruise then have the cruise company emptied his room and cleaned etc? Do they have cleaners like in hotels? Which, if he's still missing wouldn't that be tampering with a potential crime scene? Something really does not add up about this.

"Turn-around" of a cruise ship happens much more quickly than many might think. Disembarkation takes place in a matter of a few hours, and new passengers begin to embark the ship shortly after previous pax have left the vessel. Passengers have to vacate their staterooms by a certain time (by 8:00AM, for example) so that cleaning of each stateroom can begin promptly before new passengers come aboard.

Good point about his belongings and whether or not they were found in the stateroom that he shared with his brother. That might be part of the investigation and such information has not been made public. I've never been on such a short cruise but would imagine that many people board with only carry-on bags and don't have to collect luggage in the terminal when they disembark. Reports indicate that the ship was carefully searched, so it seems that KM's belongings were no longer in his stateroom.

I would like to hear from the brother who was on the cruise and shared the stateroom with KM. I just read upthread that the family spokesperson, a sister, wasn't on the cruise. I hope that the brother has much more information that is being shared with LE. JMO

 

[Charlot123]

Sorry guys, I’m so fired up and perplexed by this whole thing. Here are some things that I just need to put out there.

Kevin McGrath is a twin. His twin brother Andre is the last person to see him in his cabin ant 2 AM according to what’s being reported.

There is a ferry that runs 3 times a week between Ft Lauderdale and Bimini. The only documents required to take it is photo ID and birth certificate. The same ferry company also runs to Freeport Bahamas from Bimini.

Private boats/yachts also can make the trip easily between South Florida and Bimini.

If someone wanted to disappear, seems like with greasing a few palms and a little planning, this would be a perfect way to do so.

I’m generally not a conspiracy theorist and lord knows I hope and pray this man is safe somewhere and didn’t go overboard.

Do you happen to know, if Kevin and Andre are identical, or fraternal twins? It might matter in terms of sightings.

 

[SleuthyQ]

Do you happen to know, if Kevin and Andre are identical, or fraternal twins? It might matter in terms of sightings.

I don’t. <modsnip: discussing random comments from FB>

 

[PayrollNerd]

I know zero about cruise ships. Is there any equipment on a cruise ship that could be used to dispose of a body? Like a dump station, incinerator, or trash/laundry chute? If he never left the ship, as evidenced by the cameras, then where’s his body being stored or hidden?

 

[HollyHunter9]

"Turn-around" of a cruise ship happens much more quickly than many might think. Disembarkation takes place in a matter of a few hours, and new passengers begin to embark the ship shortly after previous pax have left the vessel. Passengers have to vacate their staterooms by a certain time (by 8:00AM, for example) so that cleaning of each stateroom can begin promptly before new passengers come aboard.

Good point about his belongings and whether or not they were found in the stateroom that he shared with his brother. That might be part of the investigation and such information has not been made public. I've never been on such a short cruise but would imagine that many people board with only carry-on bags and don't have to collect luggage in the terminal when they disembark. Reports indicate that the ship was carefully searched, so it seems that KM's belongings were no longer in his stateroom.

I would like to hear from the brother who was on the cruise and shared the stateroom with KM. I just read upthread that the family spokesperson, a sister, wasn't on the cruise. I hope that the brother has much more information that is being shared with LE. JMO

Ah ok thank you for that info about the turnover of rooms being cleaned. That ties in with the family having breakfast early at 7am I'm guessing that perhaps this was because they were checking out at 8am. But Yeah I would still like to know if his belongings were still in the room when he was reported missing or if they are missing along with him? Also seems unusual that the brothers were sharing a room but his brother didn't hear or see him leave the room which makes me think he never made it back to the room in the first place.

 

[SleuthyQ]

I know zero about cruise ships. Is there any equipment on a cruise ship that could be used to dispose of a body? Like a dump station, incinerator, or trash/laundry chute? If he never left the ship, as evidenced by the cameras, then where’s his body being stored or hidden?

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/environmental-performance/waste-management-reduction-reuse-recycling/

According to this article they have an incinerator and compactors onboard.

 

[ArianeEmory]

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/environmental-performance/waste-management-reduction-reuse-recycling/

According to this article they have an incinerator and compactors onboard.

Conquest is also one of the oldest ships in Carnival’s fleet, so I hesitate to guess here, but most modern ships have EXTENSIVE surveillance, including cameras in the hallways and elevators, just like a hotel. They also have special cameras that are supposed to detect someone going overboard.

I don’t know if Conquest is retrofitted with this stuff, but I’m sure at the very least it has plenty of interior security cameras. In other words, no one would be moving a body from passenger areas to crew-only areas (and something like an incinerator) without it being caught on video somewhere.

Since his cabin was an inside cabin/no balcony (or so we have been told), and with the conflicting stories about when he was last seen, I’m still leaning towards the theory that he went overboard very late that night/early morning, but from a public deck and seemingly out of view of external cameras.

It’s also possible that Carnival hasn’t really done an exhaustive review of security video, or they have and they’re concealing info, but they’re going to end up with at least a civil lawsuit if so.

 

[ArianeEmory]

Does anyone feel like they can make sense of the timeline and possibilities in this case?

No, but we are definitely getting different info from different sources. And in some cases, it’s law enforcement saying one thing, and the cruise line saying another.

The very first thing we heard was that he was last seen at around 2am in his cabin, and then didn’t show up for breakfast with the family at 7am. But other reports say he was last seen at 7am. This is a major discrepancy, because at 2am the ship would have been out in the water (if not terribly far offshore, necessarily), but at 7am it would have been docked in daylight. If we don’t know the true answer to the last time he was seen, it’s almost impossible to make viable guesses about anything.

 

[Karin1974]

https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/07/us/missing-carnival-cruise-passenger-miami/index.html

According to this article, his sister Danielle wasn’t on the cruise with them. Not to discredit her in the least but that means all the info that she has put out to the press is second hand. Has anyone seen any interviews with anyone that was actually on the cruise with him?

I’m wondering why this sister wasn’t celebrating with her family & why despite not being on board the cruise ship, we’re only hearing from her, it seems a little odd to me too.

 

[tarabull]

“My jaw just dropped,” said friend Mitchell Branch. “I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say.”

Branch said he and Kevin served in the U.S. Army together.

“We were in the same unit, same battalion, same company,” he said.

He and other family members say Kevin would never disappear and was always in good spirits.

“He’s always the light of the room,” Branch said.

“He has this huge personality that will definitely stick out in any room,” McGrath said. “He’s very straightforward, goofy, he’s funny.”

‘My brother didn't just vanish': Family frustrated after Carnival Cruise passenger disappears

Kevin McGrath has been missing since Monday. Carnival officials said he wasn’t seen in surveillance footage.

www.nbcmiami.com

Just an observation, fwiw, in the video linked above @ the 1:00 minute mark the missing poster says he was last seen in a BLACK T-SHIRT but in the video of him dancing in the bar he has on the colourful patterned button-up short-sleeved dress shirt which is (ultra) similar to the one he is wearing in the family photo in the video @ 1:11 minute mark...

 

[PayrollNerd]

I’m wondering why this sister wasn’t celebrating with her family & why despite not being on board the cruise ship, we’re only hearing from her, it seems a little odd to me too.

You couldn't pay me to get on a cruise ship. Absolutely zero interest and my health is too precarious. So maybe she's in a similar situation.

She could be the family organizer for past events so being the spokesperson may come easy to her vs another family member.

 

[tarabull]

I’m wondering why this sister wasn’t celebrating with her family & why despite not being on board the cruise ship, we’re only hearing from her, it seems a little odd to me too.

FWIW - in the video bumped in my last post, she also says "all of our emotions are up & down right now - all of us!"

i know it certainly stands to reason but i noted the feeling of just to be clear, justin case he is/was listening somehow...just my perception.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Just an observation, fwiw, in the video linked above @ the 1:00 minute mark the missing poster says he was last seen in a BLACK T-SHIRT but in the video of him dancing in the bar he has on the colourful patterned button-up short-sleeved dress shirt which is (ultra) similar to the one he is wearing in the family photo in the video @ 1:11 minute mark...

I see it - that is a really good catch! So, did he come back to his cabin before 2 am (last seen by brother) and change into a black t-shirt, then go back out?

 

[SleuthyQ]

Just an observation, fwiw, in the video linked above @ the 1:00 minute mark the missing poster says he was last seen in a BLACK T-SHIRT but in the video of him dancing in the bar he has on the colourful patterned button-up short-sleeved dress shirt which is (ultra) similar to the one he is wearing in the family photo in the video @ 1:11 minute mark...

Just an observation, fwiw, in the video linked above @ the 1:00 minute mark the missing poster says he was last seen in a BLACK T-SHIRT but in the video of him dancing in the bar he has on the colourful patterned button-up short-sleeved dress shirt which is (ultra) similar to the one he is wearing in the family photo in the video @ 1:11 minute mark...

I think those photos and that video were taken the day before he disappeared. I’m not 100% on that of course because none of it seems to be super clear <modsnip: discussing random comments on FB>

 

[steeltowngirl]

The weird part is, I don't think anyone can just leave the ship without someone in authority knowing about it. At least in the few cruises I've been on, you have to go out a checkpoint, and only at certain times. There is no open exit that one can use.

Once it's docked, they still keep close track of who is leaving.In my experience anyway. Maybe this one is different since it is sooooo big?

That is why I am concerned that an authorized crew member let him get off the ship, maybe to go into Miami with someone to a late night club or something. And perhaps is afraid to come forward now that this blew up and Kevin is missing.

 

[steeltowngirl]

Here’s hoping Kevin is safe somewhere. If I were family, I’d insist that the ship is searched again, even though it has set sail. There are nooks and crannies and searches aren’t always thorough.

JMO

^RSBBM

I keep thinking about Elisa Lam.

 

[Lilibet]

^RSBBM

I keep thinking about Elisa Lam.

Or Lynne Spalding.

https://www.cnn.com/2013/10/09/justice/body-in-hospital-stairwell/index.html

 

[Charlot123]

I don’t. <modsnip>

I looked them up. There are photos in articles. My opinion is, fraternal, but with very similar family traits. Hard to tell about the height on photos, but with a different haircut, shaved off beard, glasses on/off, easy to confuse. But not the way they look on photos. Kevin had a beard, Andrew, no. In other words, they had to do something to be mistaken on cameras or by passengers. So, unlikely scenario.

Another normal event, maybe he took some medication to sleep and had a dissociative episode? Especially at sea, people might respond differently to usual meds. I would look into spare beds/dirty linen rooms.