Just Say No (UPDATED)

When Jennifer Wilbanks came up missing, I have to admit that I thought her fiancé, John Mason, had something to do with it, merely because he didn’t seem too upset about not to be able to find her. Perhaps he could sense what had happened. Who, after all, would know the machinations of a drama queen better that her consort?

Although Wilbanks initially told police in Albuquerque that she had been kidnapped, she admitted after further questioning with police and the FBI that she had fled her suburban Atlanta home voluntarily, because she "needed some time alone" before the wedding.

Saturday night she walked through the Albuquerque airport -- flanked by police -- her face hidden by a striped towel or small blanket.

The 32-year-old woman, missing since Tuesday, called fiance John Mason [in Georgia] from an Albuquerque 7-Eleven convenience store before dawn Saturday, and he kept her on the line long enough for police there to trace the call.

This woman is clearly insane. Who in their right mind would run away to Albuquerque? (Sorry, Mom and Dad.)

Take this as a sign, Mr. Mason. Run--don’t walk—away.

UPDATE: Link fixed. :-)

UPDATE: Linked to James Joyner's Beltway Traffic Jam.

UPDATE: If I were Wilbanks, I'd wear a burkha (sp) too after that little stunt. However, the shroud is probably meant to hide her impromptu haircut.

UPDATE: Some people have to beat their heads against brick walls to get a clue.

The jilted groom whose bride-to-be ran away four days before their wedding still wants to marry Jennifer Wilbanks, saying, "Haven't we all made mistakes?"

"Just because we haven't walked down the aisle, just because we haven't stood in front of 500 people and said our 'I Do's, my commitment before God to her was the day I bought that ring and put it on her finger, and I'm not backing down from that," John Mason said Monday in an interview with Fox News' Hannity & Colmes show.

Okay, pal; when you're miserable in a few years, don't say she didn't warn you.

Lots of people have been harping on Wilbanks' bug-eyed appearance; I say that John Mason looks a little creepy. Perhaps they're meant for each other.

Comments

[fiwit]

I got a 404 error on the link. :)

She's from close to where I live, so this was news here before they decided it was national news.

What kills me is that she made up the abduction story and said it was hispanics who abducted her (was that supposed to explain the trip to NM?). My first thought was "at least she didn't say it was a black man," as I turned off the news in disgust, but my more lasting thought has been: "Why don't these ppl making up stories ever claim it was a WHITE person?" (or shouold I say "European-American" to be more politically correct?)

But that could easily lead me into a rather long rant of my own, so I'll stop now.

[Marc]

Jenni-fraud deserves an Oscar mention for that breathless, teary eyed call to 911.

If you haven't heard it, search it out. Classic!

I suspect it won't be too long before Vegas video's turn up showing her arm in arm with a previously unknown boyfriend.

[Francis W. Porretto]

Given the photos of Miss Wilbanks that have appeared in the papers, if I saw her coming toward me, I'd cross the street as quickly as I could.

[Indigo]

Close call for the fiance. Maybe he's smart enough to count his blessings, rather than be "wounded."

[AJackson]

After the recent wave of kidnappings / disappearances and murders in the news, I consider this pretty much a happy ending. True, she's nuts, and she wasted a lot of valuable law enforcement time. But it's a heck of alot better than the media reporting another death. Also, her fiance can be relieved that 1) she's alive, 2) he's no longer a suspect, and 3) he avoided marrying this whacko.

[Chevy Rose]

Makes one wonder about him being such a good catch also. What woman in love rushs away from the man? After I found mine I practically drug him to the preacher.......37 years ago.

[herb]

While Jennifer pulled a fast one on the entire country and she deserves to be brought to answer for her "runnaway bride role", the media should also be brought to task for their role. The media clearly overplayed the story as they do with most stories today.

[Dana]

As I understand it, this woman will not be facing any charges. I think that she should be charged with something (she LIED to police and filed a false police report). Since when do the police take into consideration the motivation for the lie??
Sure, she's a whackjob. Had she just disappeared and resurfaced, it would be one thing. But the lies and deceit should be punished. She wasted tax payers money all because she got cold feet? I certainly don't bust my butt so she can take police attention away from those truly deserving.

Just my opinion.

[Reese]

Ooh. Now my hometown has been insulted by at least two prominent bloggers.:

Your parents and I are very dissapointed in you, missy.

BTW, the e-mail address on your about page bumped back to me the compressed pictures I sent you. But I see you fixed them.

Reese

[Noble Eagle]

"Take this as a sign, Mr. Mason. Run--don’t walk—away."

You'd have thought that the wedding with 14 bridesmaids would have tipped him off that she was a tad high-maintenance.

[Peggy]

Noble Eagle- Scary as it is, a wedding with 14 bridesmaids is actually the "norm" in certain social circles in the South (e.g., white, middle to upper class, spoiled, sorority girls).

[baldilocks]

Reese: Sorry, Pal. I'm a big city girl. ;-)

[Janette]

What makes me angry is how selfish this was. What if a child in this town had come up missing at the same time? The police resources would have been split searching for this spoiled woman. I don't buy that she didn't know about the search and the media attention. She should have made a simple phone call and saved her family a lot of grief not to mention the money and time the community spent on this.

It was like giving her her very own reality TV show? If they don't charge her with a crime and make her pay restitution how long before another drama queen decides that this is a short and easy way to fame?

I think the bimbo owes her family and her community a big apology. Forget the national media, they helped to create the circus and most people ate the news coverage up.

[baldilocks]

From the Tim Blair link, the perfect description of Santa Fe, NM: "You would have loved Santa Fe, where the combined length of grey male ponytail hair could circle the earth a dozen times."

[a4g]

Baldilocks,

Thanks for the link to Point Five (and for the heads up on the misspelling of burqa).

But I do know how to spell hypocrat... er, hypocrite.

[baldilocks]

Heck, *I'm* not sure how to spell it. Probably all transliterations are right. :-)

[Reese]

Regarding Santa Fe, "Indeed." But we love our "City Different." My wife is shopping up there as we speak.

Reese
rrandlr "at" concentric "dot" net

[DarkStar]

She should be facing charges.

She was afraid of a huge wedding. He should be thinking about putting everyone, except for the "bride to be", on blast because homeboy was being set up to be Scott Peterson, II.

[Xrlq]

Why single out Albuquerque? I think the weirdest part of the story was that she went to Las Vegas first. That's where you're supposed to run to to get married, not to avoid getting married.

Minor linguistic quibble with AJackson: seeing as Wilbanks is female, shouldn't she be called a "whacka" rather than a "whacko?"

[baldilocks]

I singled out ABQ because my parents live there and I spent three miserable years there, XRLQ. I don't have any ties to Las Vegas.

(It's kind of like having to explain a joke.) :-P

[baldilocks' mom]

Why didn't this woman have the huevos to tell her parents or Mason she did not want to marry before 600 people, or she didnt want to get married period. Creating this facade about being kidnapped by a Latino. She should get an Oscar for her performance on the 911 call. Stupid heffer, er no WHACKA!(I know, redundent)

MSM definitely overplayed this one. I am so sick of viewing Wilbanks with the towel/blanket on her head. This case is not that newsworthy, even for Albuquerque. Albuquerque has more than its share of newsworthy murders, unidentified dead bodies, child molesters, gang wars and DWIs. We have big city statistics in our 500K plus population. We have arrived(sic).

Julie, all kidding aside.
It is much nicer than it was in 1980. But,I guess you dislike ABQ so much you will not come to see your sisters, nieces & nephews and parents once in a while.
It's much better than the city of angels.

Love, MOM

[baldilocks]

Tell us what you really think, Mom!

Look for me this T-day or Christmas. :-D

[Reese]

Ms. 'Locks,

Fer gods' sakes, if your thoughts of your Mom's and my fair city are based on 1980 impressions, well... I don't blame you. I wanted out and joined the Navy in 1981 to make it so.

Then I saw PI and Karachi and more. Hey, things here ain't so bad.

So I'm back forever.

"Hi 'Mom'!" How about this weather. You'd think we're in Minnesota or something. Brrr.

Reese

[Cappy]

Yep, you'll pay for life for marrying a drama queen! I should know!