Accused murderer arrested while trying to board cruise ship in Florida, deputies say
Brevard County deputies made headlines last week after a series of arrests at Port Canaveral turned a routine cruise checkpoint into a busy warrants sweep. The operations, carried out by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, targeted passengers both as they prepared to board and as they returned from sea, resulting in six individuals being detained on various legal charges.
The most serious case involved Martell Murray, 24, of Georgia. He was taken into custody on an out-of-state fugitive warrant alleging he violated conditions of his release in connection with pending murder charges. Brevard County jail records show Murray was booked on July 17 and remained behind bars without bond. Authorities have not released the victim’s identity or specified which jurisdiction is handling the underlying case.
Traveling with Murray was Kenderia Burney, 24. She was arrested on a violation-of-probation warrant. Both Murray and Burney were booked into the Brevard County Jail on the same day and, as of the latest jail records, were being held without bond. Sheriff Wayne Ivey later quipped that the pair would be spending their vacation together at what he has jokingly dubbed the “Iron Bar Lodge,” noting they would have separate sleeping quarters.
Veronica Hamlet, 38, of Tampa, was arrested on a failure-to-appear warrant. Jail records listed her charge as an out-of-county warrant, and she was released the following day after posting a $1,000 bond. James Otha Brewton, 66, of Allendale, South Carolina, was taken into custody on a violation-of-probation warrant and an out-of-county charge. Brewton posted $500 bond and was released on July 18.
Two additional passengers faced consequences after disembarking from their cruise. Deputies stopped the unnamed travelers as they returned from sea and determined that both were on felony probation but allegedly had left the country without receiving permission from their probation officers. The sheriff stated the pair would be directed to their respective detention facilities once the required paperwork was completed.
Sheriff Ivey addressed the series of arrests on social media, using the “Iron Bar Lodge” nickname and quipping that “luckily these two still got to vacation together at the Lodge even though they got accommodations with separate sleeping quarters.” He also offered a broader warning: “Whether you’re from Florida or Alaska, if you come to Brevard County and break the law—or in this case have a warrant—you better believe that we will lock you up!!”
Authorities have not identified the specific cruise ships or cruise lines connected to the incidents. Additionally, no details about the victim or the exact jurisdiction related to the murder case warrant have been disclosed. The six individuals now await various legal outcomes—ranging from continued detention to bond-supervised release—depending on the nature of their warrants and probation status.
