Jennifer Wilbanks has some ‘splaining to do. I find it utterly reprehensible that she led police on a wild goose chase, worried her fiancé and family like that, and initially blamed her abduction on a fictional Hispanic couple. Because, you know, making it seem like it was a “dangerous minority” makes it believable. Shades of Susan Smith’s mysterious black man, anyone? I understand cold feet. I know people would have been upset if she called off the wedding, but for crying out loud, how much more upset must they be that she is capable of such heartless deceit? I never could put my finger on it, but I thought there was something odd about this from the start. Everyone was starting to think her poor fiancé had done something — all this business about the lie-detector test — and it turns out she just ran away.
Weddings do tend to take on a life of their own, don’t they? But there was, I think, a much better solution. I don’t know that any criminal charges that might be filed could possibly make her feel worse, assuming she is capable of feeling remorse, but I think they should be filed nonetheless. They won’t be. Those good old boy cops in Gwinnett County might love doling out tickets to harried moms of three trying to get to work on time and going a bit too fast on Ronald Reagan Parkway, but they won’t make poor little Jennifer pay for the hours they spent looking for her. I have a feeling she’ll pay in some way.