Marly Kinney's anguished family break silence on vicious 'disrespectful' posts after partying teen's body is finally found in Kentucky lake

By JOE HUTCHISON, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and ANNA WRIGHT, US REPORTER Published: 13:29, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 13:46, 29 June 2026 The family of a Kentucky teenager who died after disappearing at a lake have hit out at online sleuths for making 'disrespectful' posts about her passing.  Marly Kinney, 19, was last seen alive last Wednesday near Grayson Lake, around 180 miles east of Louisville. Her body was found on Sunday after an exhaustive search. Officials in the Bluegrass State said she was reported missing after not returning with a group of friends on a rented pontoon boat, the captain has since been arrested.  Taking to Facebook last night, her sister Willow hit out at those spreading news of her sister's death. She said: 'This will be a hard read so I’m keeping it short, my sister has been found deceased.  'There are people around saying it in comment sections, and I don’t like that they’re sharing it not being the family acting like it is their business to.  'I have asked my mom and everything if it’s okay to post this and everything, I am not sure if anything official has been released or not, but she was found in the water. 'We are truly grateful for everyone on every team that helped us search for her, everyone’s prayers, everyone who reached out to help.  'We are likely to make an official statement on everything regarding this at a later date, so please do not spread speculations of how she died, I find it disrespectful.' Marly Kinney, 19, was last seen alive last Wednesday near Grayson Lake, around 180 miles east of Louisville. Her body was found on Sunday Her sister Willow, pictured on the right embracing Kinney, has hit out at those spreading news of her sister's death on social media  Cameron Conley, 23, was operating the rented boat, officials said, and told staff at a nearby marina after docking that he lost a female passenger, Fox 56 reported.   Officers who responded to the scene noted in court papers seen by the outlet that they could smell alcohol on Conley as he spoke to them. They also claimed that his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Authorities said that he then admitted to drinking alcohol.  His blood alcohol content (BAC) level was allegedly measured at .137, about two times the legal limit in Kentucky.  Conley was charged with operating a boat while intoxicated or under the influence and taken to the Carter County Detention Center. He has since been released. The boat captain is set to be arraigned on July 22, according to Kentucky court records viewed by the Daily Mail. Kinney's public Instagram account showed that she followed a man with the same name as Conley, hinting that the two may have been acquainted.  His case remains separate to the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Kinney's death.  Officials in the Bluegrass State said she was reported missing after not returning with a group of a friends on a rented pontoon boat  Cameron Conley, 23, was charged with operating a boat while under the influence. He allegedly told Grayson Lake Marina staff that he could not find a female passenger on his boat Leah Ross was on the lake boating with her family when she claims she saw Kinney and the group she was with near 'Sex Rock', a spot known for cliff jumping.  Ross took a photo of Kinney's group, with her friends jumping off the rock, saying on Facebook that she saw her alive on Wednesday afternoon.  Meanwhile close friend Baylie Hanshaw shared a touching tribute to her late friend, saying she would never be forgotten.  Hanshaw posted: 'Not only did I get the privilege to love Marly but I got the chance to be loved by her.  'Marly knew I always had her back and she always had mine. If she wouldn’t speak up for herself she knew I would.  'We were each others go to. If you knew me you knew Marly. She was always down for anything. 'I will never understand why this happened to you, there’s so many things i wish could have been avoided and done differently.  'I know that in your last moments you were forgotten about but i hope you know that you will never be forgotten in my heart. I love you Marly.' Kinney's public Instagram account showed that she followed a man with the same name as Conley, hinting that the two may have been acquainted A woman who said she was boating with her family near Kinney and her group of friends shared a photo of them jumping from a rock known as 'Sex Rock' The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife said that her cause of death would be determined by the State Medical Examiner's Office, Grayson Lake is seen here Kinney worked at Smokin' J's Rib and Brewhouse in Ashland, with the restaurant describing her as a 'model employee'. They said: '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 Marly's family and friends through this tragic loss. We are closed today & tomorrow to allow our team time to mourn the loss of a loved friend.' The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife said that her cause of death would be determined by the State Medical Examiner's Office.   The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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