Attorneys are contesting how to handle the blood of a man accused in a cruise ship death.
According to court documents in the federal case, the defense for Kenneth Manzanares filed a motion to preserve evidence — his blood, which was obtained by law enforcement.
The Utah man is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife last summer aboard the Emerald Princess cruise ship in Southeast Alaska.
The documents say law enforcement took 40 milliliters of blood during various search warrants. The blood still awaits testing and the defense hopes to preserve enough of a sample that it can do additional or independent testing if necessary.
In a response to the motion, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said blood samples were sent to the FBI for toxicology tests, but the FBI declined to test it, citing time parameters. The Alaska State Crime Lab also declined to test the samples, citing the case is not a DUI investigation. The crime lab referred the government to a private lab, where personnel advised that they would need all of the blood.
The prosecution’s response recommends that both sides jointly pick a laboratory. The defense could then make additional testing requests, and both sides could share the results.
If an agreement cannot be reached, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said it would formally oppose the motion to preserve evidence.
The trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 5. Manzanares has pleaded not guilty. The government said it will not seek the death penalty in the case.
Editor’s note: The federal murder trial of Kenneth Manzanares was previously scheduled to begin April 23. The trial has been rescheduled to begin Nov. 5. This story has been updated.
