There goes the runaway bride

Washington Times ^ | Monday, May 9, 2005 | By Suzanne Fields

[JohnHuang2]

The "runaway bride" is the perfect story for our time, a tale made in cable-TV heaven, with something for everybody, including me. Jennifer Wilbanks, who took a bus to Las Vegas on the eve of her wedding and called her fiancé from Albuquerque with a tall tale of kidnapping, is a triumph of radical feminism: she escaped the conventional trappings of marriage. Or maybe she reflects the failure of feminism: the dithering poor thing who couldn't make up her mind. Absolute moralists call for retribution, insisting that she pay her debt to society, literally, reimbursing several states for all the money the cops spent trying to find her. The psychological softies diagnose a narcissistic personality disorder and demand that she suffer only therapy. Lefties rant over the excessive materialism of her wedding gifts. Does anyone really need a $250 ice bucket?

[SwordofTruth]

Absolute moralists call for retribution, insisting that she pay her debt to society, literally, reimbursing several states for all the money the cops spent trying to find her.

She should do this, but she should also serve time for lying about the kidnapping and rape. She is a liar and a criminal, and should be treated as such.

[gridlock]

Jennifer Wilbanks should walk. There is no reason the government has to step in and put a band-aid every societal boo-boo. Sometimes people to stupid irresponsible things that cause inconvenience to others. Big deal.

The real fault here is in the town of Duluth. Their police chief, mayor, and prosecutor have been on Sean Hannity so much, I think he is going to offer them a long-term contract. There is simply no reason for public officials to be jockeying around to garner TV and radio time. If the police had just handled this in a routine fashion, and issued a series of curt "no comment"'s into any microphone shoved in their faces, this whole thing would have amounted to nothing at all.

Should Jennifer Wilbanks have to pay because every other person in Duluth is a star-struck media whore?

[KateatRFM]

People in the South love to talk about family scandal. This will be 'news' in Georgia for the next 300 years after the rest of the world (please God) moves on.

The only concern I have is that this woman could next be seen arrested for doing a 'runaway Mom' and turning up in a New York abortion clinic claiming that some unnamed ethnic woman tried to steal her unborn child.

[tuffydoodle]

Have you seen the stories about Miss Wilbanks criminal record? She has a couple of felony shoplifting convictions. This woman is a nutcase and needs to pay for tying up emergency personnel when there was no emergency.

[freedumb2003]

You know, you are right.

Had she not made the false 911 call, there would be no ability to recoup. Someone can get the hell lost any time they want. If the gummint wants to go looking for them, the lostee can't then be presented with a bill.

The 911 call wasn't in the home town. It is between her and wherever she placed the call.

[saneright]

This story just will not go away. Yesterday I read somewhere that unnamed friends of Miss Willbanks claim she has been sex starved for several years. Apparently her fiance wanted to wait until marriage before consecrating the relationship and this bothered her because she wanted to have sex. If I am to believe this she waits until the eve of her wedding to freak out about the lack of sex. I mean if she waited four years for sex what the hell is wrong with waiting four more days. Also, I read she is a born again Christian but that didn't stop her from getting breast implants.

I agree that the felony shoplifting charges are very disturbing. She wasn't a 15 year old trying to rip off some costume jewelry. She was busted with over $1700 worth of stolen items. I like to say she needs professional help but the "counseling" industry has so many nut cases within its ranks that by turning to them for guidance may be the worst thing she could do.

I believe I have said enough on this ridiculous story.

[saneright]

This story just will not go away. Yesterday I read somewhere that unnamed friends of Miss Willbanks claim she has been sex starved for several years. Apparently her fiance wanted to wait until marriage before consecrating the relationship and this bothered her because she wanted to have sex. If I am to believe this she waits until the eve of her wedding to freak out about the lack of sex. I mean if she waited four years for sex what the hell is wrong with waiting four more days. Also, I read she is a born again Christian but that didn't stop her from getting breast implants.

I agree that the felony shoplifting charges are very disturbing. She wasn't a 15 year old trying to rip off some costume jewelry. She was busted with over $1700 worth of stolen items. I like to say she needs professional help but the "counseling" industry has so many nut cases within its ranks that by turning to them for guidance may be the worst thing she could do.

I believe I have said enough on this ridiculous story.

[Bushforlife]

"Jennifer Wilbanks should walk. There is no reason the government has to step in and put a band-aid every societal boo-boo. Sometimes people to stupid irresponsible things that cause inconvenience to others. Big deal."

Any reasonable adult understands that if a bride to be vanishes four days before their lavish wedding, official society and the friends/family will respond appropriately with aggressive efforts to find and save her from potential danger. This is especially true if that person vanishes without her purse and charge cards, and if she leaves behind her sheared off hair.

If this vanished person involuntarily vanished, either as a result of a medical problem impairing her consciousness, mental retardation, or as a result of foul play, there is no question that she incurs no debt or obligation of any kind to anyone involved. In the case however of a conscious planned decision to vanish [she had purchased her bus ticket days before, and was able to navigate her way to Nevada without injury], the question arises as to what debts or obligations she has thereby incurred.

There are two classes of potential debts that a person owes as a result of a planned vanishing act days before a lavish wedding. The first debt is emotional/familial. We as responsible adults realize that our acts impinge on other people who care about us. When we subject those people to days of heartache, wondering what happened and fearing the worse, we have injured them to a considerable extent. However, that debt is a private matter between the person and those she injured. A responsible adult must face those she injured, and strive to make amends. This again is a private matter, and the rest of society must recognize that our intrusion into the matter can be best classified as gossip; of course, the tabloids and entertainment magazines will pursue the issue enthusiastically, but the only interest this aspect of the case should actually have would be as an instructive matter for our children. We can in the privacy of our own homes point out to our children how this thoughtless and heartless behavior affected those people who were no doubt out of their minds with grief for days, and reinforce to our family how important it is to be kind and considerate to those who care for us; the matter should, for us, end there.

The second class of debt that is owed is more complex. An adult must recognize that official society will respond to a family reporting this disappearance, and that the "authorities" will have to respond. Should those authorities NOT respond, and she be found dead afterwards, a large variety of adverse legal/financial/employment consequences would be expected. The police response to the inappropriate disappearance incurred two classes of debt. First of all, it diverted resources away from other items potentially requiring police intervention. This issue in and of itself is not financial, but moral; she incurs an ethical obligation to at the least apologize to her community, and perhaps also to make amends by some sort of community service. However, as in the case of her debt to friends/family, the payment of this debt cannot be coerced or imposed upon her; it is a voluntary moral/ethical act of repayment and perhaps contrition. Her personal response to these obligations is a matter of integrity and character. The second debt to the community is a financial one. The dedication of resources to her search consumed financial resources. Overtime itself is expensive, as is the wear and tear on vehicles, gasoline use, etc. Personnel needed to be fed and perhaps housed. The issue therefore comes down to the fact that taxpayer money was expended in a search for a person who staged a voluntary disappearance days before a lavish wedding. Since any reasonable adult knows that a search will ensue, she is therefore responsible for that financial debt. She has caused DAMAGE to the community as a result of a voluntary irresponsible act; she, and not the community, should be obligated to financially pay for the result of her foolishness.

[demkicker]

She should do this, but she should also serve time for lying about the kidnapping and rape

I haven't read anywhere that she claimed to have been raped. Please post your source....

[Right Brother]

Well said.

[soundandvision]

From AP:

"Prosecutor says rape allegation won't be added consideration"

http://www.accessnorthga.com/news/hall/newfullstory.asp?ID=92103

[gridlock]

Should those authorities NOT respond, and she be found dead afterwards, a large variety of adverse legal/financial/employment consequences would be expected.

Actually, that is not true. If the police fail to protect you, they are not liable. There is no "duty to protect" under the law.

Now if an officer violated established policies, he could expect to be disciplined by the department, but that is not the case here. In fact, the police violated established policies to be much more protective than normal, thus the entire embroglio.

As for the damage caused by the misapplication of police resources, how did Jennifer Wilbanks control that? Normal procedure would be to notify local officers and perhaps the State, and instruct police officers to be on the lookout. We're talking about an adult, here, after all.

I can understand people have a desire that she be punished for her action, but the law does not exist to satisfy every desire that another person gets "what's coming to him".

[demkicker]

Wow, thanks for the link! This girl is really one sick puppy....

[Bushforlife]

"Actually, that is not true. If the police fail to protect you, they are not liable. There is no "duty to protect" under the law."

The issue is not a "duty to protect". They had no obligation to accompany her on her run that day, in case she was abducted. But once they are informed that a person has mysteriously vanished four days before a lavish wedding, leaving behind a hank of hair, her keys, and her purse, there is a reasonable expectation that a crime may be in progress and they have a responsibility to investigate.


"I can understand people have a desire that she be punished for her action, but the law does not exist to satisfy every desire that another person gets "what's coming to him".

I can't speak for other people, but my "desire" is not to punish, but that people take responsibility for their actions. She incurred expense; why should the community pay for it? The issue of punishment revolves around her false claims of kidnapping and rape; this is another issue completely that I have not addressed in my above post.

[gridlock]

...there is a reasonable expectation that a crime may be in progress and they have a responsibility to investigate.

We'll leave this issue of reasonableness aside, for now. But the police do not have a responsibility to investigate. They cannot be held criminally liable or sued civilly for failing to do so.

Now, as I said, there may be some department policy that requires them to do so, but there is no legally enforceable responsibility.

Jennifer Wilbanks did not ask anybody to look for her. She didn't leave a note, or call the police, or toss her apartment, or do anything deliberate to make it look like she had been kidnapped. How can she be held responsible for the actions of others?

[soundandvision]

Totally... of course she shouldn't be "Joan of Arc'd" but dammit, you can't just claim you were raped then retract. Well I guess you can..

I'm pragmatic enough to realize that EVERYONE breaks the law...I do daily, going to and from work (i.e. speeding) should I be locked up for it, nah. My whole thing is this: if this woman were middle aged, overweight and black -- what would her fate be?

[SwordofTruth]

Jennifer Wilbanks did not ask anybody to look for her. She didn't leave a note, or call the police, or toss her apartment, or do anything deliberate to make it look like she had been kidnapped. How can she be held responsible for the actions of others?

She lied about being kidnapped and raped to the police, that is how she can and hopefully will be held accountable for her actions.

[Bushforlife]

"We'll leave this issue of reasonableness aside, for now. But the police do not have a responsibility to investigate. They cannot be held criminally liable or sued civilly for failing to do so."

We will definitely have to agree to disagree on this one. A family reports that a young woman vanishes four days before a lavish planned wedding, and the police NOT be expected to mount an investigation and search? And them risk her being found dead, and they not done enough? I can't see it in this day and age. And any reasonable adult would know such a search would be made.

"Jennifer Wilbanks did not ask anybody to look for her. She didn't leave a note, or call the police, or toss her apartment, or do anything deliberate to make it look like she had been kidnapped. How can she be held responsible for the actions of others?"

The request to be looked for is assumed, and quite rightly. "Please find the people who have kidnapped me and have me captive". The situation is akin to the rescue efforts mounted for a stranded mountain climber.

[tuvals]

You are 100% correct. Some of these folks are just plain out of touch with reality. The fact is she pulled a hoax, is in all liklihood mentally ill, caused a needless town emergency as well is unwarranted grief. I say the least that should be done is for her family to reimburse the town for their costs. Some of those posting must also feel it is ok to pull the firebox lever and then say "excuse me, I forgot". Hopefully she will continue her therapy sessions and perhaps grow up. After all, she is 32 years of age. Wah! Wah! I sure pulled one over on you mom, dad, John and the rest of you Duluth yo-yos! /sarcasm