A search is underway for Marly Kinney, 19, who vanished on Wednesday afternoon after a day spent on Grayson Lake in Kentucky with friends. The group reported that they could not recall when Kinney was last seen on the pontoon boat.
Lieutenant Chris Mulholland with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources stated that investigators are focusing their efforts on the lake and surrounding trails. Resources being utilized in the search include sonar equipment, police dogs, and drones equipped with thermal detectors, with additional resources expected to arrive.
Kinney's sister, Willow VanHoose, shared a photo of the missing teen on Facebook, describing her as wearing a strapless pink-orange bikini and likely without shoes. She also noted that Kinney wears gold jewelry, typically a dainty gold cross necklace, and has several tattoos, including a sword on her side, a spider on her thigh, butterflies and a tiger on her arm, and fairies on her shoulder.
A witness, Leah Ross, who was boating nearby, reported seeing Kinney and her group jumping from a local landmark known as 'Sex Rock' around 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday. Ross indicated that her group remained in the area for at least 10 to 20 minutes after that time.
Separately, 23-year-old Cameron Conley was charged after reporting a female passenger missing from his boat on the same day Kinney disappeared. According to court documents, Conley alerted Grayson Lake Marina staff that he could not locate one of his passengers. He admitted to consuming alcohol while operating the boat, and his blood alcohol level was recorded at .137. Conley was charged with operating a boat while intoxicated or under the influence. Officials have not confirmed if Kinney is the passenger Conley reported missing.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Public Information Officer Lisa Jackson stated that their primary focus remains on locating Marly Kinney and that further information might be released later.