Double Std. for Jennifer Wilbanks
by Marc H. RudovAccording to Ms. Pat Brown, criminal profiler and CEO of The Sexual Homicide Exchange, there is no excuse for letting Jennifer Wilbanks — the 32-year-old runaway bride from Duluth, Georgia — off the hook. Wilbanks, who obviously wants and needs a lot of attention, committed a crime — including a fraudulent 9-1-1 call to claim she had been kidnapped — and should be charged as a criminal, claims Brown. Wilbanks put her family through hell and wasted precious police resources. Furthermore, she had many chances over five days to let her family and the police off the hook. One account is that she had bought a bus ticket five days before fleeing Georgia to Las Vegas and then Albuquerque, NM, where she was found.
Instead of acting like an adult and just calling off the wedding, Jennifer behaved like a little girl. Worse, the media are treating Wilbanks like a little girl who got cold feet and should get nothing more than a “there-there-my-little-sweet” pat on the head.
To make matters more ridiculous, the police chief in Albuquerque, feeling sorry for the poor, little, distressed runaway bride, gave Jennifer a teddy bear. Moreover, this story consumed all TV networks, and Geraldo, for days on end — even after Jennifer was found. Special treatment for a criminal. A female criminal.
Had this been a guy, said Pat Brown, he would be going to jail, without a doubt. The double standard looms, my friends.
POSTSCRIPT
Apparently, according the New York Post, Jennifer Wilbanks has jilted at least one fiance before this current incident and has been prosecuted for shoplifting. I wonder now if the police chief of Albuquerque will ask Jennifer to return that teddy bear he so stupidly gave her?
POST-POSTSCRIPT
Runaway bride is indicted (FoxNews). Faces up to six years in jail. Another crack in the double-standard armor.
My remaining question is: Why is this the story that just won’t die?????????????????????
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April 30th, 2005 at 8:58 am
never get married—ever
April 30th, 2005 at 3:08 pm
Agreed never get married. This was one of the most self centered acts imaginable. Did she think of her parents? Of course the media literally accused him of killing her a la Scott Pederson. Fry her by her veal flaps.
May 1st, 2005 at 5:40 pm
I don’t see why anyone would be surprised. This is typical of what happens throughout this country. A crime committed by a woman, just indicates that she has ‘issues’ or that she has been abused. When are we going to start holding these women accountable for their actions. I am so tired of hearing that whenever a woman does something wrong, that it was because of abuse by males. How many men have been abused by females? If the truth were known, I am sure the numbers would be very similar.
May 2nd, 2005 at 8:19 am
The police were wanting him to take a polygraph to “prove” his innocence, to prove he didn’t kill her, without any evidence to suggest he did. The press was already looking at him as a convicted murderer simply because he was a man and that his fiance had mysterially(?) disappeared. Grrr!! She should be charged with filing a false report to police at the least.
May 2nd, 2005 at 11:14 am
If her fiance marries this female after this, he is a fool.
May 3rd, 2005 at 4:24 am
Why is Jennifer responsible for the complete over-reaction of everyone else to an event that in all other instances would have been unknown had it not been connected to some very wealthy people?
Where else in the USA does one get this type of law enforcement & media attention within minutes and for the first 72 hours after an adult goes missing – where?
I submit that the reason this issue got such extraneous and insanely instant attention is the same reason Jennifer ran from her “loving family”. They certainly have a whole lotta’ control don’t they?
Good luck, Jennifer. I’m sure “the family” will be happy to further the ties that bind you by tossing a few bucks more at whatever tapdancing the world did to impress them while you were gone.
Dance to your own tune.
May 3rd, 2005 at 5:01 pm
The Ballad of the RunAway Bride
She left for Vegas without making fuss
She cut off her hair and then ran for the bus
She left behind the ring and the love of her life..
She had no intention of being his wife.
600 guest and a lifetime of hell
She had no desire to hear wedding bells
In the bright lights of Vegas her sorrows she drowned
With a smile and bug eyes she started painting the town
4 days and 3 nights was not near enough fun
So she headed for Alberquerke and a life on the run.
They carried her story on the late news at ten
then she started worry when she watched CNN..
She ran out of reasons and money to fly
She dialed 911 and started to lie..
Now this is the story of the Run Away Bride
The Police brought her home and want to know why?
I saw her boyfriend and all I can say..
at least now I know why the girl ran away
All rights Reserved
2005 (c)Stan Bernard
May 4th, 2005 at 9:28 am
I’m A woman and I agree with you! Jennifer Wilbanks is a grown women, and she may have some kind of mental problem, but there is a Big question here. She had enough presence of mind to get a bus ticket a week before her wedding. Then she proceded to make a fraudulent claim of kidnapping. Wasted the resources of law enforcement and altogether put everyone around her in a tailspin. She should be charged for criminal actions. And, Mr. Mason should RUN as fast as he can to get away from her. She should have to pay the bill and learn her lesson, that there are consequences for her actions — a pat on the hand is not good enough!
November 28th, 2005 at 10:19 pm
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
March 4th, 2006 at 8:10 pm
Wilbanks should not have to pay back a dime for the search. In America a grown woman is allowed to leave the state and not have to account to anyone where she’s going. It may be rude, but not illegal.