You can tell by her pictures this woman is NUTZ!! The wedding would be OFF!


ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - A Georgia bride-to-be who vanished days before her wedding turned up in New Mexico, claiming at first that she had been abducted, then admitting she had gotten cold feet and ``needed some time alone,'' police said Saturday.

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 Randy Belcher, the police chief in Duluth, Ga., the Atlanta suburb where Wilbanks lives with her fiance. 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 late Friday 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 after being picked up by Albuquerque police outside a 7-Eleven and questioned for hours, she recanted.

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.''

``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.''

Schultz said she traveled to Las Vegas by bus before going to Albuquerque, where she found herself broke. Bill Elwell, an FBI spokesman in Albuquerque, said that is probably why she called home when she did.

Wilbanks had cut her hair so no one would recognize her, but she gave no indication that she had watched news reports of the search or realized the magnitude of the situation, Elwell said.

The mood outside Wilbanks' home went from jubilant to somber after Wilbanks changed her story. Family members ducked inside and the blinds were drawn.

Hours later, they expressed relief that Wilbanks was safe.

``If you remember all the interviews yesterday we were praying, 'At this point let her be a runaway bride,''' said the Rev. Alan Jones, who was to perform the wedding. ``Jennifer's alive and we're all thankful for that.''

Jones said Mason had no hostility toward his fiancee.

``I have never met such a strong person in all my life,'' Jones said. ``He's an incredible man.''

The wedding was to have been a huge bash. The couple had mailed 600 invitations, and the ceremony was to feature 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen.

Elwell said Wilbanks, who is a nurse, apparently decided shortly after purportedly leaving for her jog Tuesday night that she was going to run away.

``Based on the information we received, it was a spur of the moment situation,'' Elwell told The Associated Press.

Wilbanks was disheveled, tired and thirsty, but was not complaining of any injuries, officials said. Authorities will ``get her showered, get her something to eat and then reunite her with her family,'' Albuquerque police spokeswoman Trish Ahrensfield said.

Elwell said Wilbanks' relatives were en route to New Mexico and were expected to pick her up in the afternoon and head back to Atlanta.

Just hours before Wilbanks called her fiance, police in Duluth said they had no solid leads in the case and began dismantling a search center. Relatives offered a $100,000 reward for information and were planning a prayer vigil.

The hunt for Wilbanks had consumed Duluth, a tight-knit town. Her picture and newspaper articles about her disappearance were on telephone poles and shop windows. Police had also seized three computers from the home she shared with Mason.

Mason had become a target of suspicion and agreed to a private polygraph test. He had been negotiating with authorities for another test.

``That's been the hardest part for me,'' Mason said after Wilbanks called. ``It gives you a feeling like you can't walk outside your home.''

Mason did not speak publicly after Wilbanks said she lied about being abducted. Her uncle, Mike Satterfield, thanked people who had helped in the search.

``Jennifer had some issues the family was not aware of. We're looking forward to loving her and talking to her about these issues,'' he said.

Ryan Kelly, owner of the Park Cafe a few blocks from Wilbanks' house, which gave out coffee and sandwiches to searchers, said he was glad Wilbanks was alive and healthy.

``But that being said, this is one of the most selfish and self-centered acts I've ever seen. We saw her parents, and you could see the anguish in their eyes. It was terrible,'' he said.

``I don't care where you are - unless you're in the Amazon rain forest, you'd know everybody was out looking for you.''


Associated Press writers Kristen Wyatt in Duluth, Ga., and Harry Weber in Atlanta contributed to this report.

04/30/05 14:05 © Copyright The Associated Press

Is this that woman who was on life support?

2the9s said:

NO!

definetely . i don't see how just up and disappearing was supposed to solve her problems. she's just got more of them now.

So...is the wedding off? He'd be nuts to agree to set another date.
[Edited 4/30/05 17:40pm]

All I wanna know is is she in jail?

TMPletz said:

She'd have to go! I'd worry that one day she'd disappear... again!

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

Nope!! I'd put her in the nut house for a few days... at least! And she'd have to pay of the inconvenience that she caused. All the cops and people out looking for her, all that money and time wasted!

I think they were looking for her because they wanted their Rio MP3 player back.

i know her fiance' wanted to beat her ass when he found her....

missfee said:

John Mason reacts in front of his home in Duluth, Ga., early Saturday, April 30, 2005 to news that his bride-to-be, Jennifer Wilbanks had been found alive. (AP Photo/Ric Feld)

evenstar3 said:

uncanny

evenstar3 said:

if i had seen this photo when she was still missing, i would've believed he killed her.

sinisterpentatonic said:

for real.

sinisterpentatonic said:

that's hilarious....

her eyes are huge.

lilgish said:

i thought was a look of complacency. i'm saying anyone that has a normal look like show no signs of neuroticism.

This type of thing is exactly why I'm against straight marriage.

evenstar3 said:[quote]

missfee said:

Oh my GOD she's back, that's great.....I'M GONNA KILL HER!!!!!


M.

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

That's what I'm saying. I HATE when people file false reports and waste police manpower. Jail the bitch. They have shrinks in the big house.


This cat should consider himself lucky. She could be a future Susan Smith, know what I'm saying?

But now I hear he still wants to marry this loon. Somebody lock HIM up!

I wonder if she still wants to marry him.

althom said:

I still wanna marry you...

The part that makes me angry is how she lied to cover her ass by claiming she was kidnapped by a hispanic man and a caucasian female. AND she told them she was sexually assaulted. I think they should bring those charges of making false statements against her for that. It's one thing to panic and run; it's another thing to try to blame someone else and play on those racial stereotypes.

evenstar3 said:

For some reason it doesn't surprise me that THIS GUY would still want to marry a women that fled GA and went to the Western US to get out of marrying him.

Seriously though, the racial sterotypes and scapegoating is getting old. Why does it not surprise me that she pulled a Susan Smith?
[Edited 5/2/05 21:49pm]

AnotherLoverToo said:

Co mutha f*&%$#@' sign

AnckSuNamun said:

I don't advocate violence but the Georgia man needs to put his foot in her and go off like this Halk in the above picture.

Alright orgers, its time for the Dickologist to give her . I willing to bet ya. If he had some good dick, her ass wouldn't strayed far from home at all but when she thought about this y, small dicky, motherfucker she was going to marry she was like I am going to get the hell out of her and Oh hell nah.

CynthiasSocks said:

evenstar3 said:

"Ahh.....Drats...I told her to never come back! Now I have to kill her"

MsLegs said:

even the little ones need love.

MsLegs said: