A community searched for five days. Marly Kinney has been found.
– 3 min read
The five-day search for a 19-year-old Ashland woman missing from Grayson Lake has ended in tragedy.
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A five-day search for a missing Kentucky boater has drawn national attention and a slew of misinformation. For Marly Kinney's friends and family, this has been devastating. So I am going to focus on the facts and what I can confirm.
On Sunday, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources confirmed that a body recovered from Grayson Lake in Carter County at 3:45 p.m. had been identified as Marly Kinney. The Carter County Coroner responded to the scene, and the cause of death will be determined by the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort.
Kinney had been missing since Wednesday, June 24, after she failed to return with a group of friends on a rented pontoon boat from Grayson Lake Marina.
Court records show that on the evening Kinney was reported missing, Cameron Conley was arrested at the boat ramp at 5:30 p.m.- less than two hours after Kinney was last seen. According to his arrest citation, he was operating the boat and a trooper responding to the marina smelled alcohol on Conley and observed bloodshot, glassy eyes. Conley told troopers he had consumed alcoholic beverages while operating the boat. He consented to a preliminary breath test, which returned a result of .137. A subsequent intoxilyzer test at the Carter County Detention Center returned a result of .135.
Conley faces one charge of operating a boat or watercraft while intoxicated or under the influence, a first-degree offense. The trooper noted that body camera footage documented the entire interaction.
Over the five days Kinney was missing, Kentucky game wardens led the search. It brought together an extraordinary number of agencies and community members. Boats, sonar equipment, helicopters from Kentucky State Police, drones, ATVs and UTVs, K9 units, and cadaver dogs were all deployed to search the water and shoreline. Ashland Fire Department divers were also part of the effort.
More than 50 local volunteers joined alongside agencies including Kentucky State Police, Ashland and Grayson Fire Departments, Carter, Boyd, and Elliott County emergency management teams, the Elliott County Sheriff's Office, US Army Corps of Engineers, Kentucky State Parks rangers, and fire departments from Lexington, Sandy Hook, and England Hill.
Smokin' J's Rib and Brewhouse released the following statement on Kinney's death:
"The Smoking J’s Family is saddened by the loss of one of our own, Marly Kinney.Marly was a model employee loved by all. Always with a friendly smile and a kind word. She was loved by her fellow co-workers and friends, Many who have been volunteering over these last few days.We are making arrangements to provide grief counseling to our staff starting tomorrow. Our love and prayers go out to Marlys family and friends through this tragic loss. We are closed today & tommorow to allow our team time to mourn the loss of a loved friend."
The case remains under investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement at 800-25-ALERT (800-252-5378) or Kentucky State Police Post 14 at 606-928-6421.
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