Marly Kinney found dead at Grayson Lake after five-day search
Marly Kinney, 19, was found dead at Grayson Lake in Carter County, Kentucky, on Sunday, June 28, 2026, ending a five-day search after she failed to return from a rented pontoon boat outing on June 24. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife says her cause of death remains under investigation.
Authorities recovered the Ashland teenager's body around 3:45 p.m. Sunday, according to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The discovery closed an exhaustive search that drew state and local agencies, divers, helicopters, and more than 50 volunteers to the eastern Kentucky reservoir.
Key Takeaways
- Marly Kinney, 19, of Ashland, Kentucky, was found dead at Grayson Lake on June 28, 2026.
- She had been missing since June 24 after not returning with friends from a rented pontoon boat.
- The boat operator, Cameron P. Conley, 23, was charged with boating under the influence the day she vanished.
- Cause of death will be determined by the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort.
- Anyone with information is asked to contact Kentucky Fish and Wildlife or Kentucky State Police Post 14.
What happened to Marly Kinney at Grayson Lake?
Kinney was last seen on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 24, during an outing on a rented pontoon boat at Grayson Lake Marina, according to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. A missing-person report indicated that a female passenger did not return with a group of friends on the boat.
According to reporting from Yahoo News, Kinney was among roughly 10 people on the pontoon. She reportedly got off around 4 p.m. to use the restrooms, and the group later left without knowing exactly where she had gotten off the boat.
Five days later, multiple agencies located her body in Grayson Lake around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday. Lt. Mulholland with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife confirmed the discovery to WSAZ.
Her family has been notified, and the Carter County Coroner responded to the scene.
Why was the boat operator charged with boating under the influence?
The pontoon's operator, Cameron P. Conley, 23, was informed of Kinney's disappearance and told marina staff he could not find a woman who had been on his boat, according to Yahoo News. Kentucky State Police troopers reported that Conley showed signs of impairment, including the smell of alcohol and red eyes.
Conley admitted to drinking while operating the boat and submitted to a breath test that registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.137%, above Kentucky's 0.08% limit for boating, Yahoo reported. He was charged with operating a watercraft under the influence on the day Kinney disappeared and was released afterward.
WSAZ reported that the investigation into Kinney's death remains open. Authorities have not publicly linked the boating charge to her cause of death, which has not yet been determined.
How did authorities search for Marly Kinney?
Game wardens with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife led the search across the lake's water and shoreline. WSAZ reported that efforts included Ashland Fire Department divers, sonar, Kentucky State Police helicopters, drones, UTVs, ATVs, and K9 and cadaver dogs.
Agencies assisting included Kentucky State Police, Ashland and Grayson fire departments, Carter and Boyd county emergency management, and Elliott County Sheriff's Office. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kentucky State Parks rangers, Lexington Fire Department, Sandy Hook Fire Department, and England Hill Fire Department also joined the effort.
More than 50 local volunteers helped search the shoreline and water.
What happens next in the Marly Kinney investigation?
The State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort will determine Kinney's cause of death, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife said. The case remains under active investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement at 800-25-ALERT (25378) or Kentucky State Police Post 14 at 606-928-6421. Questions may also be directed to the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Information Center at 800-858-1549 on weekdays.
For more coverage of developing cases like this, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries section.