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[disnut8]

By now, I'm sure everyone has heard about Jennifer Wilbanks and her "disappearance" that was actually cold feet for her upcoming wedding.  This whole mess happened down the interstate from us so it's still splattered all over the news here.  My question is -  do you think the woman should be charged with anything?

Here's my opinion.  The woman planned this.  She bought her bus ticket a week before she left.  Did she think with her wedding just days away, that no one would look for her?  Over $60K was spent trying to find her - dragging the river, using sniffer dogs, the whole bit.  The wedding was supposed to be a $100K affair with 14 attendants on each side.  And this is no young gal - she's 32 years old.

I think she should be made to reimburse the Duluth police department for every cent they spent on the search.  And when she does get married (her idiot fiance still wants her), the ceremony should be limited to no more than twenty people.  A co-worker suggested the woman be sentenced to a certain time of volunteer work searching for missing people.

There's no way she should get away scot free.  The mayor of Duluth thinks "she'll be shamed enough by having to show her face in public".  Damn right.  And I'm sure in a few months, nervous brides will be hearing the phrase "pulling a Wilbanks".

Chandra, you had nothing on this woman.

[elmono311]

I heard she is being brought up charges on the fact that she faked a kidnapping, which is illegal

[LostArtofRolando]

word, charge her ass or send it to jail.

[Vengeance]

I think that she should have to volunteer to help look for REAL missing persons. It's important that she knows and understands what was taken away from the families that are truly suffering. While the police were busy looking for her, true victims were left to wait another day for rescue or for identification.

I also think that any and all tax refunds, lottery winnings, etc should go to a missing persons charity. Any bonuses from work? Right to the charity. Hell, even people wanting to get her birthday or Christmas presents should be told to donate to a charity for missing persons on her behalf.

This behavior should continue until that $60K is paid off.

I don't want to see her go to jail. That's just more tax money wasted on her. She doesn't deserve to be shielded from the media and public by our prisons. Let her face people that know what she's done.

I don't think her fiance is stupid, just in love. I think he's still blinded by the relief he felt when he found out she was okay.

As for her family? There's nothing to be done. That's a private matter and they'll take care of it themselves. I suppose that the most they could do is take her to civil court.

Regardless of what happens, I think it's going to be hard to find anything that can be done without punishing the man that is choosing to spend the rest of his life with her. I just wish that family the best of luck.

[disnut8]

The bride-to-be is issuing a statement this afternoon at 4:00 PM Eastern.  She is not expected to be in attendance.  Her lawyer will handle the announcement from a church in Gainesville.

It will take weeks to see if any criminal charges are filed.  If Wilbanks doesn't offer to pay for the search costs, the Duluth police department is considering filing a civil suit against her.

A few other things to note.  She went to Vegas before turning up in Alberquerque.  Also, she cut off her hair and donned a baseball cap before she got on the bus out of town.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall when the Mason/Wilbanks kids ask "gee mommy and daddy, tell us all about your wedding".

[jitspoe]

I wonder if she was spanked as a child.  She certainly needs to be spanked now.

[LostArtofRolando]

she probably wasn't.  And you know, every now and then, a kid just needs a good whoopin'.  if they're a good kid, maybe not; but just about all of us could use a whoopin for something every once in a while.  It's more concrete than a good ol' grounding, which most parents usually go soft on too.  I'll ground my kids, but i won't ease up.  They earn the punishment, they keep it.

[jitspoe]

They earn the punishment...

Will you give them minimum rage or something more substantial?

[LostArtofRolando]

only what they deserve.  i'm not gonna fly off the handle for every little thing, but one does have to draw the line somewhere.

[disnut8]

Well, Wilbanks apologized for all the fuss.  Her lawyer read her statement, she was no where to be found.  Wilbanks said that getting cold feet wasn't really the reason she ran, it was something else and she is being treated professionally for it.  No mention was given as to the extreme cost of the search.  Nothing was said about reimbursement to the city of Duluth.

And this is the cover story on People magazine this week.  Turns out Wilbanks and Mason lived together but gave up sex for 18 months before the wedding.

Officially, it's being called the "Wilbanks Shuffle" around here.

[LostArtofRolando]

gave up sex for 18 months?  I gave it up for the first 23 years of my life.  Once you move in with somebody, why give it up then?  You think HE would have run off by now, or maybe its why he still wants to marry her... haha

[Vengeance]

Turns out Wilbanks and Mason lived together but gave up sex for 18 months before the wedding.

That would be enough for me to lose my mind. It's a sweet thought I suppose, but who wants to sign up for premature ejaculation and intimate tightness for the wedding night? It's bad enough that virgins have to go through it and think it's normal. For those of us that know better I certainly wouldn't want to go through that hell again on my wedding night!

[RichN]

Why the hell would you pretend you are a 32 year old virgin by abstaining?  I'm sure she did the humpty dance before, so why make that kind of agreement?  These two idiots are from "well respected" families in this area, and it would seem money is a player here.