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Thread: Darla Mellinger and John Banner from Salem, Ohio found dead in apparent murder/suicide on board a cruise ship in the Caribbean

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    Senior Member Jumaki15's Avatar
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    Darla Mellinger and John Banner from Salem, Ohio found dead in apparent murder/suicide on board a cruise ship in the Caribbean

    SALEM, Ohio (WKBN) ? A newlywed Salem couple in their 50?s on a 14-day Caribbean cruise were found dead on the ship in an apparent-murder suicide on Thursday.

    Police in Salem said the FBI called them Thursday night to identify the couple. The Holland American cruise ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico when a cleaning crew found their bodies in a bloody room.

    ?All we know is that a big FBI evidence team went in with all kinds of things, and in and out with photographs,? cruise ship passenger Daniel Freeman said.

    Police have not released their names, but our news team spoke with their neighbors on East Fourth Street in Salem.

    ?She stayed to herself,? Georgia Garten said.

    Garten lives across the street and said she knew the wife, Darla Mellinger.

    Our news team confirmed her October marriage to John Banner through notices published in our print partners, the Salem News and Lisbon Morning Journal. The newspapers gave us photos of the couple.

    Garten said she is shocked to hear of their deaths.

    ?I think that is kind of scary,? she said.

    Police said they don?t have much of a history with the couple other than what they call a freak incident in December.

    ?I knew the names sounded familiar and I had gone and checked our reports. I recalled the event in December involving the two of them,? Salem Police Det. Dave Talbert said.

    Talbert said it appeared John Banner accidentally stabbed his wife after they just got home from their honeymoon cruise. The couple?s stories matched, but Talbert said it was a bizarre case.

    ?The gentleman has retrieved an old war relic that he had, which was an old military style dagger, and had gone from one side of the room to the other where she was sitting on the edge of the bed unpacking her suitcase and had allegedly tripped over a throw rug and had fallen into her with the knife and she sustained a stab wound to the center of her chest,? Talbert said.

    The FBI is not yet releasing how the couple died.


    This couple lived just down the street from me. Alot of drama going on.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Hang on, so he "accidentally tripped" & stabbed her in December, & now he's (possibly) managed to do it again - & to himself as well.


    Hmm.




    ETA
    Historical society members too. I wonder if he used an antique weapon again this time too
    Last edited by blighted star; 04-18-2015 at 05:52 AM.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Bit more detail here, but the source is pretty dodgy



    http://www.cruiseshipdeaths.com/Crui...er_Banner.html





    Salem Police Detective Dave Talbert says his department was contacted by the FBI on April 2, 2015 to see what information was available on the couple. Talbert says the couple* were known to Salem police from a December 21,* 2014 incident where Darla Banner was injured in a knife accident. Salem police were called to a local hospital by hospital staff, because Darla Banner had arrived for treatment of chest wound caused by a knife.

    When police arrived at the hospital, they were told a story that seemed odd, but the explanation was suitable. The couple were newlyweds, who had just arrived home from the honeymoon cruise. Police were told the man went to a closet to unpack from their honeymoon cruise, finding an old military dagger in the closet. John Banner* tripped on a rug as he went into the bedroom to show his wife the relic. He fell towards his wife, who was sitting on the bed. The knife plunged into her chest causing a non-life threatening injury. Police ruled the incident a "freak accident". The investigating officer stated, "All she said was what a great guy he was," Talbert recalled

    This time, the couple embarked on Ryndam at Tampa, Florida on Sunday, March 29 for a 14-day Caribbean cruise, celebrating the Easter holiday. Ryndam then arrived at Key West, Florida on Monday, March 30* before two days at sea.

    The cruise ship sailed toward Puerto Rico, for a noon arrival on April 2. The FBI were notified by ship officers for a murder-suicide. A large team of FBI crime scene investigators along with local police boarded Ryndam to begin conducting the investigation.*

    There is a new, unconfirmed report by a Holland America Line insider,* which alleges John C. Banner was found hanging in the cabin bathroom. This was the basis of the murder-suicide conclustion statement by Holland America Line.

    There was also the fact that Darla Banner had been found dead in their cabin from an alleged stab wound. There were signs John Banner had been the person who stabbed her, before hanging himself in what could be described as a jealous rage.

    The report alleges after John Banner found a cell phone text to Darla from another man, he broke a glass object in their cruise ship cabin, creating a weapon, which he then used to stab her.



    Darla Banner's previous husband, Dennis Lynn Mellinger, 49,* passed away in September 3, 2012 at their home. He was 49.

    <<snipped>>

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    Senior Member PeaceBeWithMe's Avatar
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    Listen, I've accidentally stabbed five people this year, and it's only April.

    Don't be so judgey.


    Quote Originally Posted by marshmallow View Post
    did you make her into a wallet Bill? cuz if you did I'm off team Bill.

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    Senior Member Jumaki15's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by blighted star View Post
    Hang on, so he "accidentally tripped" & stabbed her in December, & now he's (possibly) managed to do it again - & to himself as well.


    Hmm.




    ETA
    Historical society members too. I wonder if he used an antique weapon again this time too
    Yeah, and the cops apparently believed it all, too. For the most part, the cops in my city aren't too bad, and are usually pretty thorough in investigations, so it could have very well been an accident in December, but I do remember the night it happened because I could see all the cop cars lights reflecting off my bedroom window. I heard that she had been beaten to death, so no sharp objects involved in her death, it would seem at least. The families are having a shitload of problems trying to get the bodies sent home from where ever they've been keeping them. They are basically being told, you have to have them cremated in order to have them shipped home, or else it could take months.

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