Bride-to-be Jennifer Wilbanks Found Alive(Latest as of 09:30AM ET on the Bimbo Alert)

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution ^ | 04/30/05 | Staff and wire reports

[kellynla]

Duluth bride-to-be who vanished just days before her wedding turned up in New Mexico and fabricated a tale of abduction before admitting Saturday that she had gotten cold feet and "needed some time alone," police said.

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 Duluth Police Chief Randy Belcher. 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 early Saturday 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 Wilbanks soon recanted, according to police.

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." He said she traveled to Las Vegas by bus before going to Albuquerque.

"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."

The scene at the house Wilbanks shared with Mason went from jubilant, with Mason hopping from one TV interview to the next and joking about meeting Sean Hannity, to more subdued.

Everyone but immediate family was told to leave the house, and the blinds were drawn and the front door closed. Police put up crime scene tape to keep people away.

"Having cold feet is a joy compared to what the alternative might have been," friend Melinda Larson, who had planned to attend the wedding...

[Afronaut]

The story for people with absolutely nothing else in the world to do with their time but to follow a "misssing Bride" story. Damn the media has a lot of people by the throat.

[alicewonders]

Anyway, I not defending what she did. I just don't think it makes social sense to criminalize that sort of conduct. We're free to be thoughtless and selfish.

Yes, I suppose you're right, running away shouldn't be a crime. But when she called from a pay phone & said she'd been abducted, at that point, I believe she committed a crime. Regardless of the fact that the police started the search before the 72 hours missing thing - the reason they did that was because her family & friends said she would never leave on her own just days before her wedding.

Like I said before, if I'm missing, forget the 72 hours - LOOK FOR ME!!! In the case of life or death, you must err on the side of life - even if it turns out later to be wrong. What this woman did was flat out wrong & there were criminal, premeditated elements to what she did. Even if the police had taken her photo to the bus station after her disappearance, she probably wouldn't have been recognized because she had purposedly altered her appearance. That to me is criminal intent.

[trisham]

Can you look into your crystal ball and tell me about my future? You seem to know so much about things you have no first hand knowledge of - therefore, you must have a "gift".

************

I must have this gift as well. I can see that you are a person of understanding and compassion.

I have nothing but sympathy for this woman after reading some of the posts on this thread.

[Dashing Dasher]

I have two STEP parents....

After my parents divorced, they both remarried, which gave me TWO STEP parents.

Not unusual in this day and age.

[Allosaurs_r_us]

He should thank God for letting him see this part of her before he committed his life to her.

 

Problem is, these two are more than likely liberals. Marriage is no longer a life time commitment. I myself have been married for 33 years. We are the exception now days, not the rule.

[sageb1]

"Much of the family struck me as whack-jobs."

They seemed pretty normal to me.

[Dashing Dasher]

For all we know she could help old ladies across the street and cheat on her taxes.

We know NOTHING...

I prefer not to judge - unless someone messes with me or mine - then, they are toast!

;-)

[joesnuffy]

chhhhya!....and a 32 yr old one to boot...

She probably isn't going to be growing out of it anytime soon
either..

The would be victim is a very very lucky man...hope
he cuts his losses..counts his blessings...and finds
a nice girl...in the Phillipines :)

[Ditter]

LOL I thought you were a guy! No freeper is truly ugly, you need to reassess yourself.Have you ever been to DU.com? There you will find the really ugly.

[connectthedots]

I still say he killed her

That is the funniest mea culpa I've ever read.

[Ditter]

Was it greeneyedblond? LOL

[Sunshine55]

I once had a crush on a Freeper, but never said anything cause I just wasn't sure it was a girl . . . (They got banned so I'll never know!) Green eyes?

[KittyKares]

Sometimes the bridal showers are broken down into categories: "The Linens Shower", "The Cookware Shower", "The Tableware Shower" on and on.

Are you serious? I hope the same people are not expected to go to all of them!

[aspiring.hillbilly]

You are wrong. The so called false information charges took place in New Mexico and Gwinnett cannot prosecute for things out of the jurisdiction. If NM decides to prosecute, so be it, no jury will convict her for running off from marrying a jerk like John Mason. Hey I live in right in the county I know what kind of jerk she was fixing to marry till she came to her senses...

[jslade]

Mason would be a fool to marry such an unstable woman

This is the type of deranged person that would possibly kill any future offspring.

[Allosaurs_r_us]

This event was none of our business!

 

Whoa, wait just a damn minute. This was a nationwide alert. This little girl made it our business by not letting anyone know where she was. Search teams, police involvement, other cases the authorities should have been working on. Every bit of that cost the taxpayer money. None of our business. INDEED!

[processing please hold]

I was right! I was right! Neener, neener, neener.

[Flyer]

I thought you were a guy!

An obvious indicator us Houston area FReepers need to get together a little more often.

[sageb1]

" a jerk like John Mason."

What makes you think John Mason is a jerk? Do you know him personally?

I lived in Walton County, right next door to Gwinnett. I didn't know everyone in Georgia personally.

[DCPatriot]

The poster is right, talking about her eyes & the whites showing above her iris - dead giveaway. UNSTABLE NUTCASE.

SHE HAS NANCY PELOSI EYES!!!!