Posted on 04/30/2005 6:35:35 AM PDT by 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...
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
I erroneously thought he was guilty because he "lawyered up" and had a private lie-detector test done first. Now, that I am rethinking it - with more facts to work with - I said in an earlier post that I think the fiance had strong suspicions that she had taken off, but was afraid to say so in case she had really been abducted. He may have been afraid that his inner suspicions would come off badly in a lie detector test - like he knew something he wasn't telling.
He might be an *ss in real life, but I don't think he deserved to be treated like that. Her family might be guilty of spoiling her rotten, but they didn't deserve her treating them like that. I really believe this spoiled, selfish, witch of a woman should be committed to a mental institution until she realizes what she has done & insists on doing something to make up for it (volunteer work, donating money, whatever...)
Not if this mob has their way.
The way her eyes bug out is a clear sign of an overactive thyroid gland. People with an overactive thyroid are very skinny and the eyes bugging out will get worse if they don't get treatment.
Brad and Jen are breaking up? OMG!!! Why wasn't I told? ;-)
I for one am disappointed in the viciousness of the responses on this thread. Of course, this act was selfish and juvenile and hurtful. But the absolute hateful reaction of people on this board makes me wonder why I have been a loyal member of Free Republic. Is this the core or your moral fiber?
Come on folks, you can voice your opinion without the hateful, vicious attacks. Your comments make you look as juvenile as this girl.
And no, I'm not saying she should get a pass. Just commenting on the tone of the response of people here.
I don't blame him for taking the trial run with a private polygrapher, and I didn't think his requests (neutral location, videotaping of the process) were unreasonable demands for the GBI examination.
I awoke to this story and was watching CNN (ever so briefly) as they interviewed some sympathetic psychologist/counselor in Seattle - making excuses for this woman's behavior. They let this run for several minutes and the hosts asked leading questions in the vein of forgiving this woman's understandable motivation. Incredible - no wonder people are deserting CNN in truckloads - it offends.
Hi Doc!
"Please, dear God...don't let her be pregnant". (Wouldn't that be the icing on the cake?) Not LOL.
sw
I wonder if he still wants to marry her? My advice to him would be "run away, run away". He should be thanking his lucky stars he found out what a ditz she is before he married her.
Talk about unstable.
Good point. I'm not clear on the perimeter of false reporting. I'm sure some vocal utterances are prosecutable, e.g., 911 calls on false pretense.
She lied to her boyfriend... if that was illegal, the jails would be one hell of a lot fuller than they are now!
Isn't that the truth. I went through an analysis of the CBS fraudulanet docuemnt story, looking for a crime. Same thing, lying is legal until there are damages. And broken hearts are not actionable damages. Not boyfriend's broken hearts, not parent's broken hearts, not children's broken hearts, or friend's broken hearts.
I just heard this story....was away all week.
In the picture, she looks like a man to me.
Check out the Adam's apple.
Probably, she's just too skinny.
But at first I thought she was a man and didn't want her fiance to find out.....LOL
Well said.
I thought I heard she was a marathon runner which would account for her being skinny (that basically eats away at your muscles/body right..)
Makes me wonder about him.
Unfortunately, it has become necessary to lawyer up these days and is the usual route. I don't know about the GBI, but Gwinnett County cops have a questionable history where ethics are concerned. Common knowledge.
"he is a bratty spoiled false front snobby self absorbed rich kid"
Ah...the expert gossips
All people who have more money than you are snobby? It was a given that you were going to say that.
The marathon runner thing was reported to be incorrect. She was a jogger.
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