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 agree. There is a bit of a mob mentality in this thread.
I think the responses on this thread are in response to us all feeling a little disgusted with her. Most of us were concerned and worried when we first heard about this story. I feel like I was fooled too.
No doubt she's a bit of a whack job, but crazy ain't criminal.
I hadn't thought of the 911 call type thing. I actually called 911 last night to report a dead deer lying on a very narrow road. It was still there when I drove by later, so I guess it's not a high priority item.
I'm not really sure under what conditions you can call 911. I would think it is fair to call them if you don't have the local PD phone number handy.
It's like the Amber Alert thingy. It's a good thing, but every time somebody has a fight with their ex, I don't think Amber is the solution.
There was a big write up recently about a woman who took off with her kid to Australia. Over and over the media called jer a "kidnapper".
Sorry. I don't buy that the actual mother of a child can ever be a "kidnapper". The media finally fessed up she was going to be charged with "custodial interference".
True kidnapping is a serious, serious offense. We need to separate the wheat from the chaff.
IMO, she freaked out like an immature teenage person and did exactly the wrong thing! Whether she should be punished formally, I don't know. Someone should pay for the misuse of Public Funds in this charade...who will that be?
Could be. But buggy eyes are a sign of an overactive thyroid gland or even graves disease. Barbara Bush has graves disease. Her eyes do bug out a bit.
You should change your name to aspiring moron. He was the victim here, she left behind clues to lead people to think she was abducted or met with some form of foul play. Naturally her fiancee would be the first person looked at in suspicion. How you can defend this deceitful woman is beyond me.
The fiance has been awfully quick to "forgive" her. If I were him, I'd be pondering what she had put him through for quite some time. She staged a "kidnapping" a week before her wedding with full knowledge that hundreds of people had already made plans to attend the wedding, spending tens of thousands of dollars on wedding gifts, rearranging schedules in some cases and caterers, etc had all made plans for today's ceremonies.
This action, which went beyond simply running away, she called police to say she was kidnapped and also cut her hair so she wouldn't be recognized.
Run away, fiance, and don't look back. Forgive, my ass.
Please do not waste my time, and yours, posting to me again.
I don't fault him either for being careful. If due to nervousness or equipment inaccuracy his lie detector test results had cast any doubt on him, his life would have become more of a nightmare than it was already.
It's pretty scary when your parents have already spent tens of thousands of dollars on your wedding and were planning to spending probably $200,000 or more before it was over. The dress was bought, the cake was baked, the hall was rented, the caterer was booked. Running away must have seemed easier than telling her parents they'd wasted their money.
It's pretty scary when your parents have already spent tens of thousands of dollars on your wedding and were planning to spending probably $200,000 or more before it was over. The dress was bought, the cake was baked, the hall was rented, the caterer was booked. Running away must have seemed easier than telling her parents they'd wasted their money.
Maybe if you din't play with those really big knives...
Just a thought.
This thread is beginning to sound like the Salem Witch Hunts.
She should be help completely responsible for all costs. Her fiance should dump her. What a shame. So many people worried about her, looking for her, and breaking their backs to find her. 32, and still acting liking a four year old idiot. She should publically beg for the forgiveness of everyone involved. This story makes me sick (I guess that's a huge understatement, given my post, lol).
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