Home / Crime and Justice / Runaway Bride's Fake Kidnapping Captivates the Nation
Runaway Bride's Fake Kidnapping Captivates the Nation
9 Oct
Summary
- Bride-to-be Jennifer Wilbanks faked her own kidnapping days before her $100,000 wedding
- Wilbanks cut her hair and fled to New Mexico, sparking a nationwide search
- Fiancé John Mason initially forgave Wilbanks, but the couple split a year later
In April 2005, just days before her planned $100,000 wedding, 32-year-old Jennifer Wilbanks vanished without a trace from her Duluth, Georgia home. Her fiancé, John Mason, reported her missing, and hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers were enlisted to search for her. Wilbanks' family members made emotional pleas for her return, insisting she was not the type to run off so close to her wedding.
However, Wilbanks had purposely disappeared, leaving for a jog and then taking a bus to New Mexico, where she changed her appearance by cutting her hair. After three days, she called Mason and 911, claiming she had been kidnapped, but later admitted it was all a hoax. Wilbanks was charged with making false statements to police and sentenced to probation, community service, and mental health counseling.
Despite the deception, Mason initially forgave Wilbanks, even returning her engagement ring. But the couple ultimately parted ways in May 2006, a year after the incident. Wilbanks later married another man in 2010, though they quietly divorced in 2021. Mason also remarried in 2008.
