Missing Holland America Passenger Update: Woman's Passport Used To Check Into a Local Hotel

The investigation into the disappearance of American cruise passenger Ann Evans took a strange turn this week, after a woman matching her description reportedly checked into a hotel on the French side of Saint-Martin the border using her passport.

According to the Police Force of Sint Maarten (KPSM) on Thursday, 27 November, Evans took a bus to Marigot, French Saint Martin, after disembarking from the ship. However, when she did not return, they 'carried out extensive checks and followed multiple lines of information in accordance with legal guidelines,' as reported by The Independent.

After their investigation, they learned that a woman who looked like Evans checked into a hotel on the French side using her passport. They also received reports about her sightings in the area.

Cross-Border Complications

While it's good news that Ann Evans has reportedly been spotted, the sighting also raised eyebrows. It's unclear why she has not informed anyone about her whereabouts, including the ship, her family, or the local authorities, after she was reported missing.

The situation is complicated by the island's unique political geography. The cruise docked in Sint Maarten, a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, while she was spotted on the other half of the island, Saint-Martin, an overseas collectivity of France. This means two different legal systems and police forces are involved.

Crossing into a separate jurisdiction could complicate the search efforts and verification of her identity. However, KPSM has already begun coordinating with the French authorities to confirm reports of Evans' sighting in the area.

Since the woman believed to be Evans used her passport to check in, it suggests she's not in immediate danger. However, the authorities still need to verify this to ensure her safety and to determine whether the passport was used by someone else.

Case Taps into Wider Cruise Ship Safety Fears

Public anxiety over cruise ship safety is high, particularly in light of other recent incidents. US press secretary Karoline Leavitt was hoping that Ann would be 'found safe and sound.' Meanwhile, an X user said that cruises have started to 'look scary' for them due to the reported incidents of passengers dying or going missing while on a cruise.

​Earlier this month, another cruise passenger, Anna Kepner, was found dead while aboard the Carnival Horizon.

On the morning of 7 November, a room attendant found her body concealed under a bed in her cabin, which she shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother. Her cause of death was listed as 'mechanical asphyxia,' which means she was suffocated. She was allegedly strangled in a 'bar hold.'

Her death was ruled as homicide, and her stepbrother was a 'potential suspect.' Anna's father, Christopher Kepner, has recently broken his silence about the issue. He clarified that he wanted the person behind his daughter's death to be punished.

'I do not stand behind what my stepson has done. I want him to face the consequences... I will be fighting to make sure that does happen,' he said.

When asked if he was convinced his stepson was responsible for Anna's death, the grieving dad said, 'I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can't decline.'

No arrest has been made, and authorities have not publicly confirmed any formal criminal charges related to Kepner's death.