What do you think?
Can't help it. I simply had to blog about this one. Saw Jennifer Hagel's appearance on Oprah today. If her purpose for going on the show was to convince the public (which I happen to be a card-carrying member of) that she had nothing to do with her husband, George Smith's, disappearance and/or murder---it did not work. I saw her previously on MSNBC's Scarborough County (at least I think it was that show) and I remember being struck then by her "ScottPetersonesque" demeanor.
There are three key points in her story that I just can't get past:
1) Her demeanor when she speaks. Allowing for the "everybody reacts differently in certain situations" factor, if there was a multiple choice question featuring a spectrum of how one reacts when one's husband goes missing while alone with you on your honeymoon---this lady's reaction wouldn't be anywhere near it. She turns on the tears as if on cue! Ditto for turning them off to complete her corkers....er, sentences. And what's up with the latent smiling as she's discussing this baffling experience? As if she were discussing something as comical as Janet Jackson's super bowl mystery?
2) When asked why some eyewitnesses have given accounts of an argument between she and her husband - which reportedly got physical - she replies that she can't confirm or deny it? Because she simply can't remember anything? Gosh. Hate it when that happens. If they'd been having such a wonderfully blissful time, then she inexplicably blacked out at some point, wouldn't she be just a little shocked - just a tad - that folks are saying they witnessed such a hostile confrontation between the two of them?
3) She wakes up alone in her stateroom - sans husband - even though there hadn't been any fighting or discord whatsoever......and assuming he'd slept in some other couple's room (huh? I thought we were on a honeymoon here) and without even attempting to find out why, she trots off ALONE to their scheduled COUPLE'S MASSAGE? Did I mention that she made NO attempt to fetch him?
My Take?
She did it. Lord forgive me if I'm reading it all wrong - but I believe she did it. Don't know enough to deduce motive - the whys and the wherefores - but my instincts say she did it. She's got about as much ability to "fake grief" as Scott Peterson did. Hiring Dr. Henry Lee is pure smoke in mirrors. There's not a whole lot he can garner at this point - and she knows it. It's all an act. Even George Smith's parents smell a rat. They've stated they feel she's withholding information.
She was found (as she made a point to say at least twice on Oprah) far away from their room. Lying in the hallway. Passed out. Can't remember a thing. Then she gets up in the morning and has the presence of mind to head straight to the massage appt? But not to go fetch her new hubby from the newly made friends' room? The husband she's been having this blissful time with? Uh-uh. I think she just didn't want to be the one to report him missing. She couldn't afford to be. She's also made it a point to state that she never knew anything was amiss until the cruise staff approached her.
What's next?
How long before we hear the grieving widow's writing a "tell-all" book? It'll no doubt be a bestseller. With any luck, maybe she'll slip up and "tell-all" about what really happened. Or - maybe she'll just launch a crusade for making the cruise industry more responsible for preventing such crimes from taking place aboard their ships. Who knows?
RIP, George Smith. Whatever happened to you. RIP.
Posts
I have been very interested in this case, since my wife first told me about it. Here's my take, on your take (haha!):
ReplyDelete1) My wife also didn't like her demeanor on Scarby's show. We don't know if she had anything to do with it or not, but we both were reminded of Peterson, when watching her. Maybe it was the way she was filmed, or the way it was presented. I don't know.
2) I think Jennifer can't 'confirm or deny' things, not because she can't remember, but because (supposedly) the FBI will not let her disclose any evidence they may be building in whatever case they think they can build, against whoever it is they think they're chasing. Or something like that. ;)
3) Excellent point about her going to a COUPLES massage, ALONE. That doesn't make sense. But maybe she thought he was going to meet her there?
But I agree: this whole thing just keeps getting stranger and stranger, the more we learn. But the truth will out, eventually. We'll all know what her involvement is, if any, soon enough.
Mark:
ReplyDelete(1) Are you counsel for the defense, or what? LOL The chick's acting skills need *serious* work! ;-)
(2) I've heard that "FBI won't allow me to say anything" line before. Then uh....Why give any interviews at all? Shut up and go find out what happened to your husband! You're not a public figure. You don't owe us any explanations. Worry about the police....or....maybe that's *exactly* what she's doing - putting on a show for the police....
(3) If she thought that, she must "not remember", because she hasn't yet added that excuse to her corkers...er, explanations.
I hope you're right. I hope we do find out. If she's completely innocent, I want to know. I'd feel bad for thinking otherwise. As it is though - the facts as we are hearing them - point to her guilt.
Desiree: I can't say I fault the cruise line. Did they try to wrap it up quickly by minimizing the incident? Of course. They can't deny that it's bad for business. Being on a cruise is far different from being in a hotel where you can actually RUN somewhere or call police. But, ultimately, the wife is behaving as if she's suspect.
If my husband disappeared on our honeymoon, you better believe I'd know EVERY SINGLE DETAIL of what the investigators findings were. She doesn't. Says a bunch of "or something like that".
If the cruise line got in the way of that - we'd have a helluva problem.
Haha! I'm definetly not on the defense team. It's maybe just my brain trying to find a pattern of logic that doesn't point to shennanigans. ;)
ReplyDeleteLike I said at my place: I haven't seen the episode, myself. But I want to catch a replay if I can. The slide show recap on Opra's page doesn't give you a real sense of HOW they answered the questions (such that they were), it just mentions what they said. I want to see the footage myself.
Thanks for the link to my post :)
ReplyDeleteI get a strong feeling that Jennifer "truly believes" she didn't "directly" have anything to do with George's death. That's how she can go public. Whether or not she is convincing herself, or it is the truth -- that I don't know.
Jennifer does smirk and make instant-micor-expressions at inappropriate times which is a huge signal that she believes she is successfully fooling people. NOT! It'a given she is lying because your face cannot stop these "normal" reactions to how you truly feel regardless if you say something different. Jennifer flashes these micro-expressions frequently but she did not flash them when she talked about being involved in his death "directly".
I wonder if there were recreational drugs involved, they got high as a kite and things got weird and bizarre -- so bizarre no one is going to talk.
Don't you think it would make sense as to why the Oprah guest who defended her wouldn't have smelled all the alcohol? It would also explain why Jennifer kissed this woman -- a woman who was old enough to damn near be her mother! She just met her, too -- isn't kissing her kind of weird?
Well, perhaps not so weird because they had been on the cruise for like 8 days and could've gotten familiar enough with them that it would be comfortable to peck on the cheek. OR - they could've been paid to lie. I got the distinct feeling that that couple was staged....or something. I dunno. It's all just really weird. Definitely not on the up and up.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on this Millenia, the bitch did it all right.
ReplyDeleteStrange demeanor and strange behaviour aside,why on earth would Jenny want to kill her husband?On their honeymoon?It just does not make any sense.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie --
ReplyDeleteJenny? Are you a friend of hers or what? LOL
I have no clue why, but based on 1) her apparent lack of emotion for the loss of her new husband, I'd say she's not exactly mourning him....and 2) her convenient memory loss and solo trip to a couple's massage w/o bothering to find out why her hubby hadn't slept with her that night...I just smell a load of bullsh*t.
I think this whole case is weird, they are definitely attracting major media attention. There are many strange instances in this case. I have read that the family (George's) is holding off now about filing lawsuit until the
ReplyDeleteFBI releases findings, that's a little interesting. And where is Dr. Lee, he
sure is taking his time about releasing any statement. I think George was crusing high and probably fell over on his own. One thing I have no one mention is that usually when you are really in love, or in a close relationship you know when a loved one is either in danger or something isn't right, etc. Many times in my life I have been led to say a silent prayer for someon I loved because I sensed they might be in danger. Where are the soul ties between these two new lovers. I mean come on the soman didn't even sense something was wrong. I find that really strange. Maybe she is just not very intelligent. You know just because our'e very attractive and from a substantially well of family doesn't mean you have alot of brains.
I don't hear much about this on the news these days. The last I heard, Jennifer had settled with RCC before the criminal investigation by the FBI is over. I would think the FBI wouldn't give much attention if she was happy with the situation as she seems to be.
ReplyDeleteShe got away with telling nothing just like she wanted. Therefore, I think there was more than Jennifer involved.Or she was shagging someone while he was being thrown overboard and that person has alredy given a statement he can't change.A statement that says 4 guys were all together.
It will eventually come out in the wash.