TURKEY - George Smith, 26, missing from cruise ship, July 2005

[PaperDoll]

Another thought...

I wonder if a toxicology screening of the wife's blood/urine/hair can be done to find out if she ingested GHB or a similar date rape drug recently? This could confirm a lot and at least rule out to investigators what didn't happen.

I would think they would consider this. Seems like a lot of hush hush going on

 

[BrendaStar]

I wonder if a toxicology screening of the wife's blood/urine/hair can be done to find out if she ingested GHB or a similar date rape drug recently?

GHB is metabolized in 24 hours out of somebody's system, so I doubt if there would be any trace of it a month later in her system.

 

[KT Can]

GHB is metabolized in 24 hours out of somebody's system, so I doubt if there would be any trace of it a month later in her system.

Would it not at least show up in a hair follicle test? Many drugs cannot be detected in blood/urine after a certain period of time, but I was under the impression that most, if not all, drugs will leave traces in the hair follicle/shaft.

 

[BrendaStar]

All I remember is what was being discussed during the Laci Peterson discussion about GHB. At the time it was stated there were no traces left in the system after a 24 hour period. As for being left in hair folicles, a forensic pathologist would have to be consulted.

Anyone else know?

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Ok, I just started following this case, so I may be posting stuff that has already been posted... I tried to read all the posts and remember what I have read!

Some things do not make sense...
first of all ... they are on their honeymoon and what... are college sweethearts??
They split up most of the evening on their honeymoon?
Is this documented on the ship's surveillance as proof?

I, too, think the woman is too small to have thrown her husband overboard.
I think a guy would've had to do it... or more than one guy.
But I've been on a cruise ship and those rooms are not THAT big... I mean, you wake up and you can look around and see the bathroom, the balcony and not a whole lot more.

If she got up and went to the gym... that in itself seems odd after a hangover or GHB ... waking up without saying "honey, get me some aspirin" or anything like that? Too weird.

Now I may have missed something posted as fact contrary to what I'm posting, so if I did, feel free to correct me ... but if this is the scenario,
then I am sorry but I think the wife was involved somehow, some way.

There's probably much more to the story than we're hearing.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Also... if those Italian guys or any guy "r*ped" her, why choose her?
Was she the only young female on the cruise? Surely there were single women on that cruise, some problably even willing to rendezvous...
And why kill the husband?? Makes no sense.

 

[audrey77]

All I remember is what was being discussed during the Laci Peterson discussion about GHB. At the time it was stated there were no traces left in the system after a 24 hour period. As for being left in hair folicles, a forensic pathologist would have to be consulted.

Anyone else know?

GHB naturally occurs in your body- The urine tests look for elevated levels. There has been very limited research in hair shaft testing, but can only really detect the "presence".

BTW- some nail polish removers and solvents containing mainly GBL- quickly converts into GHB when ingested... It's really east to get... Here's the link- it was still a problem last year per the author. Here

 

[OriginalJerseyGirl]

The things that puzzles me as well is the wife's statement about going to the gym. Did she go or not? Did she actually make this statement? The gym story doesn't fit with my theory at all. It doesn't make sense if the story is that the maids discovered blood in thier cabin, discoverd the occupants missing and a short time later found the wife sleeping in a chaise lounge somewhere with no recollection of the previous evening. I can't imagine her going to the gym after the crew explained to her what the situation was.

The only way that the gym would fit in IMO is if the wife came back to the cabin after something had already happened to George but was so drunk that she pretty much collapsed into bed, figuring he just wasn't back yet. The next morning, when he wasn't there - maybe she thought he was already up or that he never came back to the room from the night before. If they were enjoying their trip separately at times, this is possible.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Also... if those Italian guys or any guy "r*ped" her, why choose her?
Was she the only young female on the cruise? Surely there were single women on that cruise, some problably even willing to rendezvous...
And why kill the husband?? Makes no sense.

If this gal was chosen by these guys I would think it was because she was hanging out at their table that evening....her hubby tried to get her to come back to their table and she got mad....they fought off and on all evening.

The wife is a very attractive gal..was drunk...probably flirting with the guys in her drunken state and her and hubby weren't getting along so they probably figured she was a real live wire and ready to do a little hanky panky with someone other then her new hubby.

 

[gardenmom]

Maybe the blood in the bed was from her being raped. Also, maybe the conflicting story about whether or not she went to the gym is because the witness who heard the scream also said that she her self had gone to the gym that morning. Maybe someone just got it confused in the media.

 

[T-Rex]

There are tons of posts online from people who were there. It's kind of amazing--I've never seen this much first-hand info on a case before. Basically, here's what they said, from memory.

Couple on the cruise for their honeymoon. They were drinking a ton, and were partying and noisy the whole trip. He made friends with a group of about 5 younger guys (16 or 18 - 20, maybe), and was hanging around them a lot and buying them drinks. She was flirting with other guys.

Night of the disappearance: They were in the disco, him with his guys, her with another group of guys. He called her over and bitched at her for not hanging with him. She kicked him in the balls. He and his friends left. She left later, so drunk she was bouncing off the walls of the hallway. Some say she left with an employee of the casino.

Around 3AM, the guy in the room next to them heard male voices cheering--like a drinking game. Then he heard male voices arguing on the balcony. Then someone saying, OK, goodnight, goodnight, like they were ushering people out. Then voices out in the hallway. Then someone moving furniture in the room next door--really banging it around. Then on the balcony, a big crash--he thought they might have thrown the sofa out.

A woman and her daughter (?) in another cabin heard things too. The next morning, they went on their balcony, and saw the huge bloodstain on the awning over the lifeboats, which was about 4' from their balcony.

One of the stewards (?) went into the couple's room to clean it, and saw a lot of blood. The ship started paging the couple, again and again, and neither answered.

According to one story, the wife said she woke up, saw her husband gone, and went to the gym. Another story says she was "hiding" in the spa when they found her. Others say she was passed out in the solarium, which was by the gym. Someone posted that she asked him directions to the solarium.

About the 5 (or so) guys. They were from Brooklyn. I think they were also Russian, and were there with a larger family group. Some of them were pulled off the ship later for raping another 18-year-old passenger. Supposedly there was a video. But a friend of theirs said online that the video actually exonerated them (it was consensual), and the girl wasn't the one who reported it. They were let go. But supposedly two other women passengers came forward afterwards and said the same thing happened to them.

There was a rumor that they honeymooning guy had been bragging about having $50,000 in the safe in his room.

My theory is that one of the Russian guys, or someone connected to them, tried to rob the groom, and tore his stateroom apart looking for the money. The bride, meanwhile, went "home" with someone else that night.

 

[PaperDoll]

WOW, a lot of theories and stories here... Now I'm getting more confused, which doesn't take a lot to do.. :crazy:

 

[lostfaith]

Very interesting T-rex! Where online are the post from the people who were on the cruise?

 

[T-Rex]

Here's a big chunk of them. Search the page for "Cruising the Med." There are two articles. Be sure to read the comments after them!
http://tvshogal.blogspot.com/

Here's an article quoting the woman who found the bloodstain.
http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-missingman2jul20,0,933895.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines

And another one
http://www.angelsmissing.com/forum/GEORGE-SMITH-MISSING-t1982.html

Here's the bloody photograph
http://www.acurrentaffair.com/assets/reports/blood_stain.jpg

And here's an interview with the man in the stateroom next door
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8713117/

There were a couple more scattered around, but I didn't bookmark them.

 

[LaurenD]

Thanks, T-Rex. A lot of info there.

 

[PaperDoll]

Yes, thank you T-Rex for all the info.. very interesting...

 

[lisafremont]

Anyone else following this fascinating and frustrating case of the 5 July disappearance of newlywed George Smith of Connecticut from the Brilliance of the Seas ship cruising in between Greece and Turkey?

Fellow passengers have been interviewed on tv and have reported puzzling happenings and some photographed a huge blood stain on the overhang below the Smiths' cabin.

MODS: If enough people are interested, could we have a forum for this case please?

 

[nanandjim]

Anyone else following this fascinating and frustrating case of the 5 July disappearance of newlywed George Smith of Connecticut from the Brilliance of the Seas ship cruising in between Greece and Turkey?

Fellow passengers have been interviewed on tv and have reported puzzling happenings and some photographed a huge blood stain on the overhang below the Smiths' cabin.

MODS: If enough people are interested, could we have a forum for this case please?

I'm following the case on television. I unfortunately think that there is less of a chance of that case being solved than the Natalee case.

 

[arielilane]

I think it is a really interesting story.

 

[lilpony]

Anyone else following this fascinating and frustrating case of the 5 July disappearance of newlywed George Smith of Connecticut from the Brilliance of the Seas ship cruising in between Greece and Turkey?

Fellow passengers have been interviewed on tv and have reported puzzling happenings and some photographed a huge blood stain on the overhang below the Smiths' cabin.

MODS: If enough people are interested, could we have a forum for this case please?

Oh, I am following it. Constantly looking for new information. Its very interesting. There are looking at 3 men, that were on the ship from Russia. Can't wait for more information. Its sad.