Runaway Bride: How Could You DO That?
For the past few days a massive search had been ongoing to locate Jennifer Wilbanks. Wilbanks, whose wedding was planned for today, disappeared while jogging. The search involved many hours of police time. Many volunteers devoted their time to searching for her. The news media gave broadcast hours and print space to her story. Her fiancée was questioned, given a polygraph test and the computers in the home he shared with Wilbanks were seized by police.
Last night Wilbanks called her fiancée from Albuquerque, NM with the story of her abduction. This would have been a happy ending were it not for the fact that she made it up. She admitted to Albuquerque police today that she had not been abducted, but had "needed some time alone". That was an incredibly selfish and irresponsible thing to do!
A hoax like this puts everyone in danger. Will police take a case this seriously the next time someone reports a missing loved one? This will do for abductions what false accusations of rape did: Make real ones less believable.
In an AP story, one of Wilbank’s friends thought Wilbanks hadn’t realized that her disappearance would get so much attention. If that is true, Wilbanks has no common sense. When people go jogging and don’t return, loved ones become concerned: Concerned enough to notify the police. Once the public learns of a disappearance, the community becomes concerned. They wonder if a rapist or murderer is at large. That could affect the entire community. If Wilbanks cared about her fiancée, family, friends and community; she would have let somebody know that she was going away for a few days because she ""needed time alone".
Duluth, GA Police Chief Randy Belcher stated in an AP story, "Miss Wilbanks basically felt the pressure of this large wedding and could not handle it". I can understand the desire to avoid a three ring circus style wedding with 12 bridesmaids, 12 groomsmen and 600 guests. My idea is don’t plan one in the first place! If her fiancée, parents or future in-laws pressured her to have an elaborate wedding, she should have insisted on a compromise in the planning stages or the couple should have eloped. Faking one’s own abduction is not the mature, responsible way to avoid a large wedding. Did she think she would get her deposits back on the hall, the catering, etc. if she were a "captive" on her wedding day?
One of Wilbank’s uncles said she "had some issues the family was not aware of". Everyone has issues whether they are financial problems, ill health, aging parents, a career that isn’t going well, the loss of a loved one, family disagreements, etc. Decent people don’t fake their own kidnappings because they have "issues". They try to solve the problems on their own or discuss them with the appropriate people. They don’t start nationwide manhunts.
Albuquerque Chief of Police Ray Schulz said of Wilbanks, "She’s obviously very concerned about the stress she’s been through, the stress that’s been placed on her family". She allowed her fiancée, her family and her friends to suffer the agony of wondering whether she was dead or alive or whether she was suffering. Police and volunteers gave hours of their time to search for her. Her fiancée was investigated as her possible murderer. Yet Wilbanks is concerned about the stress she’s been through? How selfish can this woman be?
Judging by the content of the AP story "Ga. Bride-to-be fabricated kidnap tale, police say", people seem sympathetic to Wilbanks. Am I just mean to think they shouldn’t be? She wasted police time and resources with a hoax. Isn’t filing a false report a crime? By simply disappearing for days without notifying anyone, she caused a missing persons report to be filed. Unless she is mentally ill, she should be required to face criminal charges and punishment, such as defraying the cost of the taxpayer funded manhunt.
According to news reports, Wilbank’s fiancée is flying to Albuquerque to see her today. If he is smart, he’ll cancel any future marriage plans with her. She ran off without caring that he would worry or that he would be a suspect in her disappearance. I think he dodged a bullet as far as today’s wedding is concerned. On the other hand, one of life’s mysteries is why the worse some women treat their men; the more those men love them.
Copyright Eva Ellsworth, 04/30/05, all rights reserved
Last night Wilbanks called her fiancée from Albuquerque, NM with the story of her abduction. This would have been a happy ending were it not for the fact that she made it up. She admitted to Albuquerque police today that she had not been abducted, but had "needed some time alone". That was an incredibly selfish and irresponsible thing to do!
A hoax like this puts everyone in danger. Will police take a case this seriously the next time someone reports a missing loved one? This will do for abductions what false accusations of rape did: Make real ones less believable.
In an AP story, one of Wilbank’s friends thought Wilbanks hadn’t realized that her disappearance would get so much attention. If that is true, Wilbanks has no common sense. When people go jogging and don’t return, loved ones become concerned: Concerned enough to notify the police. Once the public learns of a disappearance, the community becomes concerned. They wonder if a rapist or murderer is at large. That could affect the entire community. If Wilbanks cared about her fiancée, family, friends and community; she would have let somebody know that she was going away for a few days because she ""needed time alone".
Duluth, GA Police Chief Randy Belcher stated in an AP story, "Miss Wilbanks basically felt the pressure of this large wedding and could not handle it". I can understand the desire to avoid a three ring circus style wedding with 12 bridesmaids, 12 groomsmen and 600 guests. My idea is don’t plan one in the first place! If her fiancée, parents or future in-laws pressured her to have an elaborate wedding, she should have insisted on a compromise in the planning stages or the couple should have eloped. Faking one’s own abduction is not the mature, responsible way to avoid a large wedding. Did she think she would get her deposits back on the hall, the catering, etc. if she were a "captive" on her wedding day?
One of Wilbank’s uncles said she "had some issues the family was not aware of". Everyone has issues whether they are financial problems, ill health, aging parents, a career that isn’t going well, the loss of a loved one, family disagreements, etc. Decent people don’t fake their own kidnappings because they have "issues". They try to solve the problems on their own or discuss them with the appropriate people. They don’t start nationwide manhunts.
Albuquerque Chief of Police Ray Schulz said of Wilbanks, "She’s obviously very concerned about the stress she’s been through, the stress that’s been placed on her family". She allowed her fiancée, her family and her friends to suffer the agony of wondering whether she was dead or alive or whether she was suffering. Police and volunteers gave hours of their time to search for her. Her fiancée was investigated as her possible murderer. Yet Wilbanks is concerned about the stress she’s been through? How selfish can this woman be?
Judging by the content of the AP story "Ga. Bride-to-be fabricated kidnap tale, police say", people seem sympathetic to Wilbanks. Am I just mean to think they shouldn’t be? She wasted police time and resources with a hoax. Isn’t filing a false report a crime? By simply disappearing for days without notifying anyone, she caused a missing persons report to be filed. Unless she is mentally ill, she should be required to face criminal charges and punishment, such as defraying the cost of the taxpayer funded manhunt.
According to news reports, Wilbank’s fiancée is flying to Albuquerque to see her today. If he is smart, he’ll cancel any future marriage plans with her. She ran off without caring that he would worry or that he would be a suspect in her disappearance. I think he dodged a bullet as far as today’s wedding is concerned. On the other hand, one of life’s mysteries is why the worse some women treat their men; the more those men love them.
Copyright Eva Ellsworth, 04/30/05, all rights reserved
1 Comments:
What happened to having evidence and a warrant to seize property of the fiance? He was already convicted in the press and people were looking at him as a murderer before he was even charged with a crime. Was it because he was a man and was automatically assumed to have killed her? What about his rights? Had the roles been reversed she would not have been questioned and he would be on his way to jail for perpetrating this hoax.
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