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 ...
Absolutely. What she has done to that man is incomprehensible.
I feel like calling him myself to apologize for ever suspecting he might be involved.
What I'm thinking is if the girl had any gemption, she would have called in the day this thing hit the major media before it turned into a real spectacle. It certainly would have saved the groom from alot of undue suspicion and anxiety.
An earlier poster mentioned that the families were society types. That would explain their need to throw such a large wedding - status. Obviously it did get to her (Not that that excuses her)
Amen! This is the scenario we all hoped for. Great news!
Exactly! If this guy marries this bimbo HE should be gelded so they can't have any dumber children! LOL
The only crime she committed is the short-lived story to the police about being abducted. She's an adult. She can travel to Las Vegas without having to tell her mommy.
Well, apologize for me as well.
OTOH...All she has accomplished is that the NEXT time someone disappears, we will think they RAN AWAY! Geeze.
You'll GRANT that??
Of course SHE SHOULD PAY!
It seems to be the "in" thing these days to have break-the-bank weddings. I got married last year; the wife and I had a simple ceremony with just family and a few close friends and a small reception afterwards (~60 people). I told the wife beforehand that we could have a big wedding and a small honeymoon or a small wedding and a big honeymoon. She opted for the latter and I sprang for a 3 week overseas honeymoon. Everything was paid for in advance (including the honeymoon) so we started our life together debt-free.
It's too bad that so many couples saddle themselves with the debt of a huge wedding before they even get a foot off the ground.
"called her fiance, John Mason, "
John was saved by the belle : )
JSK10 was on FR earlier this week explaining that he knows the players involved, and he said there was just about no way Mr. Mason made Miss Wilbanks disappear.
So yes, to that extent, I grant that he was correct in that assessment. What's wrong with that?
A wedding should be about a person's "community" witnessing and affirming solemn vows. 600 invitations makes this a social "event" of no small proportions. If you've ever felt stage fright having to give a presentation to colleagues at work or in your classroom at college, you might have a bit of compassion for every bride who has let her wedding plans get beyond the pale.
Did her wealthy parents need to invite so many folks as a social statement? If so, they share in the blame. But this girl looks like an adult, so why did she let everything get so beyond her control?
So many television events, magazines, and marketing aimed at "the perfect wedding" just adds to the stress and makes running away look mighty tantalizing. But to exacerbate the situation as though this were a 60 minute "W.E." channel movie...ugggh! What an idiot.
While random, cruel stranger on stranger crime was always a possiblilty, when I heard "14 Bridesmaids," something inside me reserved judgement. Clearly, we see a need here to be the center of attention! Also:
"The whites visible above the irises may indicate some dangerous elements within the personality. An explosive temper may be latent in this type and the nature very forceful. Caution is the operative word in this case. Charles Manson exhibited these eyes. Chinese face readers call them wolves eyes."
I am glad she is alive but she should at the very least be fined to pay for the cost of the search
You watch. This next week the media - 20/20, 60 Minutes, Dateline, and others are all going to air special investigative reports on the stresses a Bride goes through when planning a wedding. I guarantee that they are working on that as we speak. Remember - we are now in a ratings sweep and it's very close to "Wedding Season" (May, June, July)
The MSM will milk this for all it's worth.
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