News & Politics - Missing GA bride found.. Lies about abduction..

**Mio** · 04-30-2005, 09:24 AM

ugh, if you get cold feet, says so. Don't lie about some abduction and then recant. Her entire family was scared to death!

Quote:

(Yahoo! News)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A Georgia bride-to-be who vanished days before her wedding turned up in New Mexico, claiming at first that she had been abducted, then admitting she had gotten cold feet and "needed some time alone," police said Saturday.

Jennifer Wilbanks, 32, was in police custody more than 1,420 miles from her home on what was supposed to be her wedding day.

"It turns out that Miss Wilbanks basically felt the pressure of this large wedding and could not handle it," said Randy Belcher, the police chief in Duluth, Ga., the Atlanta suburb where Wilbanks lives with her fiance. He said there would be no criminal charges.

Wilbanks, whose disappearance set off a nationwide hunt, called her fiance, John Mason, from a pay phone late Friday and told him that she had been kidnapped while jogging three days before, authorities said. Her family rejoiced that she was safe, telling reporters that the media coverage apparently got to the kidnappers.

But after being picked up by Albuquerque police outside a 7-Eleven and questioned for hours, she recanted.

Ray Schultz, chief of police in Albuquerque, said Wilbanks "had become scared and concerned about her impending marriage and decided she needed some time alone."

"She's obviously very concerned about the stress that she's been through, the stress that's been placed on her family," he said. "She is very upset."

Schultz said she traveled to Las Vegas by bus before going to Albuquerque, where she found herself broke. Bill Elwell, an FBI spokesman in Albuquerque, said that is probably why she called home when she did.

Wilbanks had cut her hair so no one would recognize her, but she gave no indication that she had watched news reports of the search or realized the magnitude of the situation, Elwell said.

The mood outside Wilbanks' home went from jubilant to somber after Wilbanks changed her story. Family members ducked inside and the blinds were drawn.

Hours later, they expressed relief that Wilbanks was safe.

"If you remember all the interviews yesterday we were praying, 'At this point let her be a runaway bride,'" said the Rev. Alan Jones, who was to perform the wedding. "Jennifer's alive and we're all thankful for that."

Jones said Mason had no hostility toward his fiancee.

"I have never met such a strong person in all my life," Jones said. "He's an incredible man."

The wedding was to have been a huge bash. The couple had mailed 600 invitations, and the ceremony was to feature 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen.

Elwell said Wilbanks, who is a nurse, apparently decided shortly after purportedly leaving for her jog Tuesday night that she was going to run away.

"Based on the information we received, it was a spur of the moment situation," Elwell told The Associated Press.

Wilbanks was disheveled, tired and thirsty, but was not complaining of any injuries, officials said. Authorities will "get her showered, get her something to eat and then reunite her with her family," Albuquerque police spokeswoman Trish Ahrensfield said.

Elwell said Wilbanks' relatives were en route to New Mexico and were expected to pick her up in the afternoon and head back to Atlanta.

Just hours before Wilbanks called her fiance, police in Duluth said they had no solid leads in the case and began dismantling a search center. Relatives offered a $100,000 reward for information and were planning a prayer vigil.

The hunt for Wilbanks had consumed Duluth, a tight-knit town. Her picture and newspaper articles about her disappearance were on telephone poles and shop windows. Police had also seized three computers from the home she shared with Mason.

Mason had become a target of suspicion and agreed to a private polygraph test. He had been negotiating with authorities for another test.

"That's been the hardest part for me," Mason said after Wilbanks called. "It gives you a feeling like you can't walk outside your home."

Mason did not speak publicly after Wilbanks said she lied about being abducted. Her uncle, Mike Satterfield, thanked people who had helped in the search.

"Jennifer had some issues the family was not aware of. We're looking forward to loving her and talking to her about these issues," he said.

Ryan Kelly, owner of the Park Cafe a few blocks from Wilbanks' house, which gave out coffee and sandwiches to searchers, said he was glad Wilbanks was alive and healthy.

"But that being said, this is one of the most selfish and self-centered acts I've ever seen. We saw her parents, and you could see the anguish in their eyes. It was terrible," he said.

"I don't care where you are — unless you're in the Amazon rain forest, you'd know everybody was out looking for you."

**TheAngel** · 04-30-2005, 09:59 AM

I can't believe that she would do something like that, to put her family through that pain and humiliation. She could at least have told them that she got cold feet in the beginning instead of telling them that she had been kidnapped. I really feel sorry for her family and her fiancee. I really hope she understands the seriousness of what she did.

Lain · 04-30-2005, 10:38 AM

If you got cold feet before your wedding day, fine! But don't go around saying that you have been abducted by a Mexican couple (At least that's what they're saying on this other board I'm looking at) just because you're stressed about getting married. Here's what her little story had done:

-Scared the living wits out of her family and fiance
-Cost taxpayers money (Even the FBI was searching for her)

According to one article, they're saying that she's not getting charged. WTF?!?

There's a thing about being a fraud and making up stories just for the sake of yourself. I know she's stressed at the fact on how the wedding is going to be big but just the fact that she made up the whole story about being abducted, good lord! If you get stresses like that, there's a thing called talking to someone.

Here's a question though. Do you think the fiance should go on marrying her after what she pulled off?

Sorry if I sound harsh, but...yeah. If someone were to pull off that stunt, I'd think twice.

Katiebear · 04-30-2005, 10:58 AM

I agree with you! I hate how the media is trying to portray her as some sort of victim give me a break! If she weren't white they wouldn't be nearly as considerate. That being said I think the fiance should think twice before marrying her at the very least. I mean its a good thing this happened before the wedding don't you think?

I mean I can't tell him who to marry but if I were him I'd head for the hills...

mh67511 · 04-30-2005, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angel_boogiepop

Here's a question though. Do you think the fiance should go on marrying her after what she pulled off?

Absolutely not! If she pulled a stunt like this, who knew what else she could do...anyways honesty is important in marriage. If she had cold feet she should have just told him and her family; I'm sure it would have been difficult but it would have been a lot better than what she did.

**TheAngel** · 04-30-2005, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katiebear

I agree with you! I hate how the media is trying to portray her as some sort of victim give me a break! If she weren't white they wouldn't be nearly as considerate. That being said I think the fiance should think twice before marrying her at the very least. I mean its a good thing this happened before the wedding don't you think?

I mean I can't tell him who to marry but if I were him I'd head for the hills...

Hang on, why are we making this a race thing. That's an assumption and one you don't know for sure.

ceilirose · 04-30-2005, 12:14 PM

The question to me was why was this even the top news story for the last few days. It's not really news but a personal family drama being played out for the whole country.

I do think race plays a part in what we're told is news. During the Laci Peterson trial I remember reading about the same thing happening to a Hispanic woman (pregnant, body found in the San Francisco Bay) and her story was buried in the back pages of the newspaper.

Her family or their spokespeople are backing off of talking to the media which I guess is understandable. Her minister called it something that was blown out of proportion. Well sure...now that we know the true story but yesterday and the day before they were more than willing to use the media in any way they could.

Her family is well off from what I've heard so maybe they could make some sort of restitution to the law enforcement agencies that wasted time and money on her disappearance. Other than that I hope the story fades into oblivion and she gets a good psychiatrist.

twinkie*princess · 04-30-2005, 12:50 PM

I read that article and I was so mad - are you freaking kidding me? Did she think they would not look for her? Ugh, people who waste time and money for no reason like this tick me off.

mukooh · 04-30-2005, 03:51 PM

i think i'd feel alot better about this if the runaway bride was forced to pay for all the services and the people's time that was wasted because of her actions....

TokyoNiGHTS · 04-30-2005, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mukooh

i think i'd feel alot better about this if the runaway bride was forced to pay for all the services and the people's time that was wasted because of her actions....

Something needs to happen to her I think. She shouldn't get away with just walking out and having lots of police trying to find her (and having them take off on other cases to do it).

The saddest thing of all is this woman has gotten more media coverage than Marla Ruzicka (the amazing woman in the Death of a Hero thread I made) has ever gotten. CNN and MSNBC are even going to devote 1hour shows to her later tonight.

**HappySquared** · 04-30-2005, 06:06 PM

I read that article earlier and I think she's just being a jerk. I thought she really didn't love her soon-to-be-husband but then claimed that she just got nervous. What a pity!

hippychick173 · 04-30-2005, 08:57 PM

Its sad what some people do to get attention....

mh67511 · 04-30-2005, 09:32 PM

Well, maybe she should pay, but in her defense, SHE didn't choose for this to become a top story! If this hadn't been such a big story, NO WAY would they have used so many resources looking for her! I am not condoning what she did at all, but if every cable news station and whatnot didn't keep talking about this, the FBI, etc. would most likely not be using as many resources to find her. I fail to see how this is national news. People go missing EVERY day and by now everyone should realize the media doesn't choose stories that are "more important," they choose stories that get more ratings. Maybe the news stations should pay since they blew this way out of proportion.

Katiebear · 04-30-2005, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheAngel

Hang on, why are we making this a race thing. That's an assumption and one you don't know for sure.

You really think race doesn't play a role as to how things are portrayed in the media? I mean notice in her kidnapping story she specifically mentioned a Hispanic man being one of her kidnappers. Being white and all why did she choose a Hispanic man she could've chosen a white man etc but knowing the long standing history of white women and how cops etc are so quick to jump when a big bad minority man goes after her well frankly it just struck a chord.

This country is obsessed with race don't you wonder why you don't hear about black pregnant women being murdered by their husbands or black girls kidnapped etc.

It doesn't sell to show minorities as victims.

Lain · 04-30-2005, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mh67511

People go missing EVERY day and by now everyone should realize the media doesn't choose stories that are "more important," they choose stories that get more ratings. Maybe the news stations should pay since they blew this way out of proportion.

So true! If they're making a big deal about this woman's "abduction and missing" issue, why don't they focus on those who were actually abducted, especially the children.

In truth, the media and the FBI wasted their time on looking for her. I'm sorry but lying about something like being abducted is a criminal offense. Why she didn't get charged is a surprise to me. I guess now I'll start running away from home and tell everyone else via the 7-11 payphone that two Mexicans captured me when all I wanted was to get away from stress. Oh yeah, I could easily go scott free.

If you ask me, like some of you said, she should pay for the expenses of those who had to look for her.

I'm looking at the AOL Board and there were people who actually posted that she looked more like a "deer in headlights" due to her eyes. Looking at the picture...okay I'm keeping my opinions to myself but does anyone agree with this?


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