"Runaway Bride" Jennifer Wilbanks charged with a felony

[Ben E Lou]

Is anyone in Atlanta listening to the news conference? I didn't hear exactly what he said, but it sounds like they're going to charge her with a felony.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Who the hell is Jennifer Willbanks?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Who the hell is Jennifer Willbanks?

the runaway bride chick

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by VPI97

They'll never convict her...get her in front of a jury and she'll zap them all with her hypno-eyes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuervo72

[Cap Ologist]

Doesn't matter much anyway, when she's brought to the courthouse she'll probably be guarded by a kindergartner armed with a sling shot or something.

[kcchief19]

The report I heard on the news this morning was that she had struck a deal with Duluth to pay them $14,000 to compensate for the cost of looking for her. Perhaps that was untrue or another jurisdiction is charging her.

I can't imagine she would by willing to write a check while facing charges at the same time, but then again she is crazy.

[VPI97]

They'll never convict her...get her in front of a jury and she'll zap them all with her hypno-eyes.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Cap Ologist

Doesn't matter much anyway, when she's brought to the courthouse she'll probably be guarded by a kindergartner armed with a sling shot or something.

Great, now all of the metro area is getting dissed because of Fulton County's shortcomings. Fulton and Gwinnett, although bordering counties at places, are very, very different places.

[Bearcat729]

If I remember she did call someone and say she was kidnapped right?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

the runaway bride chick

Ah. Right. I know she's an Atlanta person, so she's a local for you, big man, but I do find you fascination with her slightly... disturbing.

[Ben E Lou]

Grand jury indicted her. One felony. One misdemeanor.

Originally Posted by AJC

Runaway bride indicted

District Attorney Danny Porter announce today that runaway bride Jennifer Wilbanks has been indicted on one felony charge and one misdemeanor charge.

Wilbanks was indicted by the Gwinnett grand jury on making false statement a felony, and false report of a crime, a misdemeanor. The felony charge carries a penalty of one to five years, and the misdemeanor 12 months.

Wilbanks told her fiancé that she was going for an evening run on April 26, and she failed to return to their Duluth home.

Four days later, she called home before dawn with a report of being abducted by a Hispanic man and a white woman in a blue van.

Within hours, she recanted the tale during an FBI interrogation in Albuquerque, N.M., the last leg of her cross-country Greyhound bus getaway.

Wilbanks' attorney, Lydia Sartain of Gainesville, said she remains "confident Jennifer Wilbanks has not committed a crime in Gwinnett County."

"The citizens of the county will be ill-served by an attempted prosecution," Sartain said.

Duluth Mayor Shirley Lasseter has said the city still is negotiating with Wilbanks' family over how much she might reimburse the city for the search. She has said officials had determined the amount to be about $43,000.

Sartain said negotiations continue with Duluth city attorney Lee Thompson.

The news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. in front of the Law Enforcement Memorial Plaza, adjacent to the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

Ah. Right. I know she's an Atlanta person, so she's a local for you, big man, but I do find you fascination with her slightly... disturbing.

We had a big discussion about it on here, and right now this is "BREAKING NEWS" at CNN.COM, actually.

[Cap Ologist]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Great, now all of the metro area is getting dissed because of Fulton County's shortcomings. Fulton and Gwinnett, although bordering counties at places, are very, very different places.

Sorry, forgot she wasn't from Atlanta. I thought she was since you addressed other Atlantan's. I heard she hired Ben Matlock to represent her though.

[Blackadar]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Quote:

Seperated at birth, no doubt.

[terpkristin]

Well, it should be a felony, no?
Misuse of emergency personnell, crossing state lines. The latter alone probably makes it the felony.

/tk

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

We had a big discussion about it on here, and right now this is "BREAKING NEWS" at CNN.COM, actually.

Heck, it is on the front page now at FOX, MSNBC and ABC, as well.

[Hawglaw]

My favorite nickname for her has to be the "Crazy-Eyed Cracker Bride." I laugh everytime I say it... See, I just laughed.

[Ksyrup]

C'mon, at least use my spoof!

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Cap Ologist

Sorry, forgot she wasn't from Atlanta. I thought she was since you addressed other Atlantan's.

Metro Atlanta is pretty tightly packed in, jurisdiction-wise, partly because Georgia has more counties than any other state in the USA last I checked, and we're nowhere near the largest state. Our counties are much, much smaller than what most people are used to. There are around 10 different jurisdictions that are within 15 minutes of Fulton County, and I'll bet the "Atlanta" radio stations reach 20-30 counties during the day.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Heck, it is on the front page now at FOX, MSNBC and ABC, as well.

You're right. It's not your fascination that I find slightly disturbing, it's FOX's, MSNBC's, ABC'S (CNN's as well, I reckon) fascination that I find disturbing.

[Julio Riddols]

Who the HELL was going to marry her?

Captain Ojo?

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Honolulu_Blue

You're right. It's not your fascination that I find slightly disturbing, it's FOX's, MSNBC's, ABC'S (CNN's as well, I reckon) fascination that I find disturbing.

Well, then you should find the general populace's fascination disturbing. This is only a story because it is good for ratings for the various news organizations. In other words, it is what the people want to hear about, apparently.

[Huckleberry]

I thought the only people she made the kidnapping claim to in Georgia were her family. Making a false statement to your family is a felony?

I must have missed something.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Huckleberry

I thought the only people she made the kidnapping claim to in Georgia were her family. Making a false statement to your family is a felony?

I must have missed something.

My understanding was that she talked to the Gwinnett sheriff on the phone from New Mexico while she was still sticking to that story, and made that claim to him also.

[Ksyrup]

She repeated the story to cops before confessing that it wasn't true.

[Cap Ologist]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Metro Atlanta is pretty tightly packed in, jurisdiction-wise, partly because Georgia has more counties than any other state in the USA last I checked, and we're nowhere near the largest state. Our counties are much, much smaller than what most people are used to. There are around 10 different jurisdictions that are within 15 minutes of Fulton County, and I'll bet the "Atlanta" radio stations reach 20-30 counties during the day.

Actually Texas has about 100 more counties than Georgia.

[cuervo72]

So wait...duplicating a sight gag two weeks later, only with 3 more photos makes for good humor according to the Blackie Humor Guide...

check!

(petro???)

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Cap Ologist

Doesn't matter much anyway, when she's brought to the courthouse she'll probably be guarded by a kindergartner armed with a sling shot or something.

LOL!

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Cap Ologist

Actually Texas has about 100 more counties than Georgia.

Heh. Just checked and you're right. Texas, with 254, is #1 and Georgia, with 159, is #2. By comparison to some much bigger states, California has 58, and Alaska 27. The point still holds: there are a bunch of jurisdictions in a small area around Atlanta--particularly because Fulton County is so ridiculously gerrymandered:




To give you an idea about the distances represented here, on a Saturday or Sunday, when traffic is flowing freely, Marietta to Conyers is probably a 30-40 minute drive.

Actually, I decided to check before I posted. Mapquest says it is 44.73 miles from Marietta to Conyers. Point being, we're all "Atlanta," but the actual Fulton County jurisdiction that blew the Brian Nichols covers a relatively small portion of what y'all think of as "Atlanta."

Tidbit: I could be wrong here, but of all the "Atlanta" people who post on this board, I can't think of a single one who actually lives in the City of Atlanta--or even in Fulton County.

[Buzzbee]

Is Emory in Fulton? If so, then Issidiqui might be a Fulton resident.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Originally Posted by SkyDog

Well, then you should find the general populace's fascination disturbing.

I do... Sadly, I do.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Well, it should be a felony, no?
Misuse of emergency personnell, crossing state lines. The latter alone probably makes it the felony.

/tk

Actually, that's a common misconception. A crime is not a felony because it is interstate or federal in nature. A felony is usually defined as any crime that can potentially carry a sentence of over a year.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Buzzbee

Is Emory in Fulton? If so, then Issidiqui might be a Fulton resident.

Nope. DeKalb. He's the closest, I think.

[Huckleberry]

I see. I didn't know that. I'm all in favor of charging her with crimes committed.

I wasn't and am still not in favor of charging her for legal behavior (running away and not telling anybody, not calling in to tell everyone she's fine even if she knew she was being looked for, etc.).

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Buzzbee

Is Emory in Fulton? If so, then Issidiqui might be a Fulton resident.

Wait, I just thought of one, although I'm not sure if he moved with his new job. Joe Stallings lived or lives somewhere in the Roswell/Alpharetta area.

[Buzzbee]

I believe Breeze is 'in the northern suburbs' but I'm not sure if he is in Fulton.

[bob]

I'm in Fulton.... Just a 50 foot walk to DeKalb though.

Bob

[Passacaglia]

I thought she'd end up with that rich snob!

[Kodos]

Good. Throw the book at her.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by John Galt

Actually, that's a common misconception. A crime is not a felony because it is interstate or federal in nature. A felony is usually defined as any crime that can potentially carry a sentence of over a year.

Ah, I hadn't known that, thanks.

As a side note, I wouldn't mind her getting locked up for a LOOONG time. As a person who has had a person legitimately missing, I must express frustration over the way some missing persons cases are handled. When my brother went missing, we were told they wouldn't even start looking for him for 3 days. Now, as a search and rescue person, I understand the rationale behind that, but as the family of that person, that is one of the worst things in the world to hear.

A person like this woman who claims to be missing and kidnapped and thus wastes all those resources (again, speaking as a search and rescue volunteer, who gets called out in these types of cases and as a person who has had somebody missing in her family) when there are legitimate problems out there deserves to be shot.

/tk