Posted on 07/27/2005 11:19:53 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
STAMFORD, Conn. — The night a newlywed vanished from his honeymoon cruise, the sounds of a loud party were coming from his stateroom, followed by male voices arguing on the balcony and then a "horrific thud," a fellow passenger says.
The ship was in the Mediterranean Sea when Connecticut resident George Smith IV disappeared more than three weeks ago.
No one has been charged, but Connecticut's top federal prosecutor said Tuesday that the 26-year-old's disappearance is being aggressively investigated and reports of blood on the ship raise concerns. The comments are the first by a U.S. prosecutor on the case and the strongest indication yet that officials suspect foul play.
"We think the circumstances are unique enough and suspicious enough that a thorough investigation is warranted," U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor told The Associated Press.
O'Connor said investigators were still interviewing passengers and staff from the ship, and he declined to discuss details of the investigation.
Turkish prosecutor told the AP last week that Smith's new wife, Jennifer Hagel, was not suspected in her husband's disappearance.
The couple had been drinking and gambling at the ship's casino that night, the prosecutor said. The next morning, he said, Hagel woke up and went to the gym. Smith was reported missing after cleaners found blood in their cabin. There was also blood on the balcony and a hand print on the side of the ship, the prosecutor said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Clete Hyman, a passenger in a neighboring stateroom, described what he heard during the cruise in an interview Monday night on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country."
The night Smith disappeared, Hyman said he heard what sounded like a loud party in Smith's room, then "some very loud arguing out on the balcony."
He said he heard several male voices and then noises in the cabin that sounded like furniture being moved. Then, he said, he heard a "horrific thud."
O'Connor wouldn't comment Tuesday on Hyman's account.
Smith's and Hagel's families, who live in Connecticut, have not publicly commented and did not return phone messages.
Turkish authorities handled the case after the disappearance was reported July 5 when the ship docked at Kusadasi, a resort area in the Aegean region of Turkey. U.S. officials were given the case last week.
ahhhh Branson's IS one of our favorites... which is probably why we HAVEN'T taken a cruise.. laugh.. we're pretty "straight laced" overall... Unfortunatley it isn't very tropical.
TOTALLY off topic.. we're hoping to make the time to do a long weekend in Branson maybe over Thanksgiving... do some shopping.. start the Christmas season off with a visit to Silver Dollar City.. :)
The case was solved long ago, it's just that there's no proof, and boy that always gets in the way of justice...:)
I don't think finding Joran's tennis shoes, (that he probably left on the beach), is going to hang him. Please forgive my straying off topic...OK..the guy's wife did it...LOL.
Welll....my "other thought" on this thing is.....he faked his own death?
Along w/the help of both families? For reasons known only to them?
No doubt. Remember there was one that caught fire at sea & water started filling up the ship.......close to shades of the Titanic. LOL
If anything like that happens, I'd hate to be out at sea, especially at night, lifeboat or not! There are HUGE & HUNGRY sharks in the waters. First they take a bite outta the lifeboat and then begin their main course! eeekkkkkk......
" Nobody wants to talk about human trafficking. Very unpleasant. Immigrants, children, young ladies bought and sold. I think it's very naive to believe it doesn't exist. But it will probably never be talked about, even if they know about it as we speak. "
Great post. I think this hedious thing called *human trafficking* needs to be talked about. If it isn't exposed, there's no chance it will ever be stopped, imo. As has been said before, there's a good chance Amy Bradley, who disappeared in 1998 from a cruise ship, was probably sold. Her parents must be very frustrated trying to get people to become aware of a problem that's hidden.
I've seen cases where people have
faked their own deaths.....they
always end up getting found out.
Some of the schemes have been more
elaborate than a guy falling off
a ship. That one's quite easily
accomplished. After all, they were
docked and not out at sea. He could
have slipped out into the street
crowds and gotten lost on purpose.
See the picture I'm painting?
Off topic: did you go on Mission Space?
" There was blood in the cabin. I'm not sure how much. "
I think it's outrageous that the cruise ship didn't take crime scene photos. I'm glad they are getting exposed for their possible lack of concern for their passengers.
" Go right ahead my dear. "
LOL LOL
Guess that solves that piece of the mystery. Yet a part of my wonders if Cbs has the accurate inside track on this one. I'd like to hear this reported elsewhere.
I hope you are right! I have been on only two cruises and loved them both (Carnival Imagination and Inspiration). I would hate to see some sinister activities by any cruise ship line.
I thought Dan retired from CBS!!
No we didn't for a variety of reasons.. the biggest for me was that I've found as I get older I don't handle "big" rides like I used to... I even passed on Tower of Terror..
We DID ride Soarin' tho.. at the risk of sounding trite.. AWESOME.. very impressive!
Now THAT is an interesting theory... I bet they're checking out insurance stuff and his background very thoroughly..
You read my mind!
Well, that theory came to me over the
weekend, b/c I can understand HER &
her family keeping mum.....But not
HIS family. Unless they didn't give
a care about him, but I HIGHLY DOUBT
that.
George was going to take over the
family's liquor business after
the honeymoon.
I heard this about Soarin' but it wasn't there the last time I visited WDW. Mission Space made my daughter and I sick as dogs.
This was something I wondered about, too. However, I do wonder about all the blood...
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