Mexico Mexico - Jennifer Seitz, 36, Cruise ship passenger near Cancun, Dec 2008

[MeoW333]

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081229/BREAKINGNEWS/81229017

"The 36-year-old woman missing from a cruise ship off of Mexico since Christmas Day is a former newsroom employee for FLORIDA TODAY.
ennifer Ellis-Seitz was reported missing from Norwegian Pearl cruise ship just before 5 a.m. Friday. According to news reports, there is video of a woman going overboard about eight hours earlier.

Her former husband, Michael Rich of Brevard County, confirmed the news. Rich said he was shocked but did not wish to comment further. They were married in 2005 for a year."

 

[cloudajo]

List of persons who have gone overboard on cruise ships. Scroll down to see descriptions and disposition - fall overboard, missing, suicide, unknown.

http://www.cruisejunkie.com/Overboard.html

 

[T-Rex]

Also, if she SCUBA dived and snorkeled, jumping overboard wouldn't seem like a way to end it.

 

[tatertot]

I don't think a chair would be needed to climb over the railing and jump if the individual was physically fit. I don't have much upper arm strength but I've pulled myself up and over a chest-height windowsill when I accidentally locked myself out of the house.

I'm not sure how weight-loss surgery affects overall body strength and mobility.

 

[arielilane]

Husband didn't report her missing for eight hours...Where and what was the husband doing during the eight hours she was missing?

 

[cloudajo]

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a woman who reportedly fell from a cruise ship balcony off the coast of Cancun.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/12/29/america/FL-Missing-Cruise-Passenger.php

On MSNBC they said no signs of her had been found...

 

[gaia227]

It seems there is some unwritten code amongst cruise ships that if something awful happens to keep in under wraps for as long as possible. You would think by now with all of the accidents that have happened and the bad press because of the lack of action cruise ship operators would realize that if they did launch a comprehensive search, notified passengers of the event asking for anyone who saw something to come forward, etc that they would get much better press for their efforts.
They completely mis-handled this situation - again.

 

[cloudajo]

Husband didn't report her missing for eight hours...Where and what was the husband doing during the eight hours she was missing?

We don't know. Jennifer's mother was also staying in the cabin with them. Not sure if it was one of those interconnecting cabins and the mother had a separate entrance/exit. I was wondering if Jennifer's husband and mother went out to dinner, show, casino, etc. while Jennifer stayed back. And then they got back in the early morning (separately or together), looked for her, then reported her missing. Just speculating as a possibility for those hours.

 

[cloudajo]

It seems there is some unwritten code amongst cruise ships that if something awful happens to keep in under wraps for as long as possible. You would think by now with all of the accidents that have happened and the bad press because of the lack of action cruise ship operators would realize that if they did launch a comprehensive search, notified passengers of the event asking for anyone who saw something to come forward, etc that they would get much better press for their efforts.
They completely mis-handled this situation - again.

There is a debate about this on another forum at link below. I personally agree with you.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=893573&page=16

 

[gaia227]

I have been reading her diary. It is always surreal for me to read someone's blog, see a video of them or a recording and realize they are no longer here yet here I am reading words that they wrote or watching a video seeing them standing right there in front of me very much alive. We leave behind so many little impressions in places and in ways we probably are not entirely aware of.

 

[cloudajo]

Kerry Sanders on MSNBC just said Raymond Seitz was arrested for domestic violence in April. He said the name of the person was not identified, but assumption is it was Jennifer. He said the case was not prosecuted.

 

[cloudajo]

Polk County, FL

DEFENDANT: SEITZ,RAYMOND
CASE NUMBER: 532008MM00409401XXBA
FILE DATE: 04/21/2008
CASE TYPE: MISDEMEANOR; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BATTERY
STATUS: NOLLE PROSEQUI

https://www2.myfloridacounty.com/ccm/do/docket?county=53&data=7b5565cfb54949c41c054f22a2657eb4

 

[arielilane]

We don't know. Jennifer's mother was also staying in the cabin with them. Not sure if it was one of those interconnecting cabins and the mother had a separate entrance/exit. I was wondering if Jennifer's husband and mother went out to dinner, show, casino, etc. while Jennifer stayed back. And then they got back in the early morning (separately or together), looked for her, then reported her missing. Just speculating as a possibility for those hours.

Thank you, cloudajo.

 

[cloudajo]

The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a former FLORIDA TODAY newsroom employee who reportedly fell from a cruise ship balcony off the coast of Mexico.

Family members on Monday said she previously had suffered from emotional problems.

In a press release e-mailed to FLORIDA TODAY, family members say that Ellis-Seitz and her husband Raymond were celebrating their one-year anniversary on the cruise. They had invited Ellis’ mother along.

“There were no outward signs or indication of anything being wrong or unusual,” both families said in a joint statement. “Jennifer, however, has had previous emotional issues.”

The family said her husband and mother discovered her missing at around 2 a.m., saying it was common for her to walk the ship late at night when she could not get to sleep.

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081229/BREAKINGNEWS/81229017/1006/NEWS01

 

[arielilane]

Polk County, FL

DEFENDANT: SEITZ,RAYMOND
CASE NUMBER: 532008MM00409401XXBA
FILE DATE: 04/21/2008
CASE TYPE: MISDEMEANOR; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BATTERY
STATUS: NOLLE PROSEQUI

https://www2.myfloridacounty.com/ccm/do/docket?county=53&data=7b5565cfb54949c41c054f22a2657eb4

Kerry Sanders on MSNBC just said Raymond Seitz was arrested for domestic violence in April. He said the name of the person was not identified, but assumption is it was Jennifer. He said the case was not prosecuted.

Wow! I guess I'm not surprised.

 

[arielilane]

I hope they are looking for drugs in the cabin(s). Maybe she was drugged?

 

[AhaJen]

I guess I'm confused by the family's statement.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-missing-cruise-passenger-122908,0,7370038.story

"She was excited about starting a new job and her future career with a local newspaper. She and her husband had been talking about starting their family," her family wrote in the statement. But the family "suspects that Jennifer chose an unfortunate ending to her life. She was a beautiful and caring person and will be truly missed by all who love her."

At first they sound as if they don't believe it could have been suicide. Then at the end, they certainly seem like they think it is. I'm confused...

 

[scandi]

I guess I'm confused by the family's statement.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-missing-cruise-passenger-122908,0,7370038.story



At first they sound as if they don't believe it could have been suicide. Then at the end, they certainly seem like they think it is. I'm confused...

Hi AhaJen, I'm confused too! I read somewhere it is pretty difficult to jump off one of those ships.

Have we heard from what part of the ship she was seen falling into the water? I also heard on FOX that knowing where the ship was at 8pm will give them a really good idea as to where the body will end up with the currents and drifts close to shore.

I sure hope they locate her body, and wonder if they will let the public know right away if they do? I thought it odd they stopped the search so soon when they could still be looking where they think she might end up.

 

[JaneInOz]

I guess I'm confused by the family's statement.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-missing-cruise-passenger-122908,0,7370038.story



At first they sound as if they don't believe it could have been suicide. Then at the end, they certainly seem like they think it is. I'm confused...

Im really upset that the family are making statements like that and saying "she had emotional problems" Just because someone has emotional problems doesnt automatically mean they are going to kill themselves.
It takes a lot to commit suicide.

Gaia you are so right. Recently we had episodes of Dan from All Saints (have you heard of it?) doing scenes yet he *actually did* commit suicide some weeks before hand in real life. it was very bizarre!

cloudjo thanks for the explanation..The last pic of the two of them she looks so different to the middle pic.

I wish there was a pic of Ray post surgery

 

[JaneInOz]

In that FBI photo was that chair from the *scene* ?
There is no way she could have jumped over that railing without a chair - no way.

Ive been on a couple of cruises myself and you would absolutely need something to get you over.

I dont believe she committed suicide.

Starting a new job, wanted a family, sucsessful in losing all that weight. No way was this suicide