GA - Jennifer Wilbanks, runaway bride, for false police report, Duluth, 2005

[luvbeaches]

Who smiles in a mugshot?

No kidding. It's looks like she's happy about something. I don't recall ever seeing anyone smile for their mugshot. And #5 arrest no less....

The more I read about her, and now with these pictures...there is something really wrong with her. Poor girl...I hope she's getting the help she needs.

 

[Lauren]

NO BICKERING ALLOWED!!!

Just sharing the photos of her mugshots.

I know who smiles in their mugshots??

It answered at least what all the 5 arrests were for..

I hope she is doing better!

 

[peggy]

NO BICKERING ALLOWED!!!

Just sharing the photos of her mugshots.

I know who smiles in their mugshots??

It answered at least what all the 5 arrests were for..

I hope she is doing better!

So what is source, can we look it up ourselves-- and where does it say all for shoplifting, I had read somewhere couple were for drugs.

 

[1986]

Looking at the series of photos it's easy to see that Jennifer has some mental/emotional issues. I wonder if maybe the pic with the big smile was made while she was on meds. Just a guess. She looks like she's going through a major depressive period in 96 and then again in 98. Then 5 months later she is grinning in a mug shot. Her family should have been getting her some help.

 

[Lauren]

Not sure what the girl was going thru, but like I said before, I hope she gets whatever help she needs. I hope her family supports her... She needs them.

 

[girasole]

I wonder if this is what she was running from all along. She has a past that she probably never shared with John and couldn't face his finding out, which I suspect would be inevitable.

I also wonder if her other boyfriend knew all about this side of her. She's going to need a lot of help. Hope she has an understanding family who won't just try to sweep this under the carpet.

 

[Marthatex]

Getting the marriage license wouldn't have brought anything out in the open, would it?

I'm curious as to how she was hired in a medical office, where money is taken in? Maybe they just didn't do a background check? Maybe she knew she couldn't get a new job in Duluth, that things might come "out".

 

[Sassygerl]

Not sure what the girl was going thru, but like I said before, I hope she gets whatever help she needs. I hope her family supports her... She needs them.

I agree....I am not here to bicker about anything, I have always felt she had some issues and felt no one was there for her. Did she do the right thing...obvioulsy NO, but I think she was messed up and ran. JMO.....weddings, even small ones are stressful. I hope she gets the help she needs.

 

[Lauren]

Weddings can make Bridezillas out of anyone...........
They are very stressful!!
ELOPE! :clap:

 

[girasole]

Getting the marriage license wouldn't have brought anything out in the open, would it?

I'm curious as to how she was hired in a medical office, where money is taken in? Maybe they just didn't do a background check? Maybe she knew she couldn't get a new job in Duluth, that things might come "out".

No, I wouldn't think a marriage license would cause any problems. But I am thinking the family she was marrying into would somehow have discovered her background eventually.

It is surprising that she was able to hold a job at all, but perhaps she was hired thru family connections.

 

[bulletgirl2002]

Have you noticed that these incidents happen the same two times of year???? Probably a coincidence....but we know of 3 incidents in the April/May time period and then the others in the Aug/Oct. I am probably being silly......but I have heard that seasons can have something to do with mental issues (I think winter months are harder on people)

 

[Liz]

Article, Pay up, or else?

http://crime.allinfoabout.com/news/wilbanks/payup052005.html

 

[Lauren]

Thanks for the link Liz.

 

[Mabel]

I thought she was only arrested 3 times for shoplifting. How come there are 5 mug shot pics?

 

[nanandjim]

It's kind of weird to see someone looking flirty and smiling in a mugshot taken when you are arrested... In any case, hopefully, she has straightened up her act. It appears her last arrest was seven years ago.

 

[marrigotti]

I thought she was only arrested 3 times for shoplifting. How come there are 5 mug shot pics?

The Smoking Gun had an item that referred to 5 arrests. Stated that 3 arrests were for shoplifting. It is a little bit confusing.

 

[Lauren]

No shoplifting arrests since 1998..
That's what was stated. :blowkiss:

 

[Marthatex]

She had gone a while without shoplifting, but then with the huge made-up story and lies to police showed once again a lack of conscience and now only an inkling of remorse. That's what worries me - is she mentally ill and only needs treatment, or is she a hard core criminal in the making who leads a double life? In which case she may need a tough punishment now. Her earlier punishments obviously didn't stick - she was a repeat offender.

If this were a first offense, I would agree with the author that maybe she shouldn't be punished, but she had an extensive criminal record. I don't agree that the media caused the uproar; the family looked pretty frantic to me. Are we being too easy on her because she is a white, middle class girl with a nice boyfriend and nice friends?

In Texas it's 3 strikes and you're out; good thing she doesn't live here.

 

[nanandjim]

...is she a hard core criminal in the making who leads a double life?...

I'll choose this option. I don't understand how someone who has been arrested five times has not spent time behind bars. If her fiance chooses to marry her, he has a screw loose. IMO, her running is the best thing that ever happened to him.

 

[marrigotti]

She had gone a while without shoplifting, but then with the huge made-up story and lies to police showed once again a lack of conscience and now only an inkling of remorse. That's what worries me - is she mentally ill and only needs treatment, or is she a hard core criminal in the making who leads a double life? In which case she may need a tough punishment now. Her earlier punishments obviously didn't stick - she was a repeat offender.

If this were a first offense, I would agree with the author that maybe she shouldn't be punished, but she had an extensive criminal record. I don't agree that the media caused the uproar; the family looked pretty frantic to me. Are we being too easy on her because she is a white, middle class girl with a nice boyfriend and nice friends?

In Texas it's 3 strikes and you're out; good thing she doesn't live here.

Don't all three strikes have to be felonies? It occurred to me also that perhaps some of the arrests didn't result in charges or that perhaps charges were dropped?