RSSJennifer Hagel Smith, Widow of Missing George Smith Says He Mixed Alcohol & Prescription Drugs the Night He Went Missing
George Allen Smith IV vanished from a honeymoon cruise in the 
Mediterranean July 5, 2005. Now after all this time, Jennifer Hagel Smith says, it was alcohol and prescription drugs as Hagel Smith throws George Smith and his reputation under the bus.
So much for not speaking ill of the dead when they cannot defend themselves. Especially when the deceased person is your missing and presumed dead husband. However, Jennifer Hagel Smith for some reason now feels the need to drag the memory of missing honeymooner George Allen Smith IV through the mud. Jennifer Hagel Smith claimed in court that George Smith mixed prescription drugs with alcohol the night he vanished three years ago on the Mediterranean Sea.
Jennifer Hagel Smith said her husband’s family has refused to acknowledge the possibility that George Smith’s intoxication may have been a factor in an accidental death. She said they have insisted Smith was a victim of foul play.
Richard Sheeley, Hagel Smith’s attorney, said Smith’s parents and sister have “conjured up a conspiracy that never existed between the cruise line, investigators and, eventually, even the young woman they once welcomed into their family as a daughter.”
Jennifer Hagel Smith was in Superior Court responding to a legal challenge by Smith’s relatives to a nearly $1.1 million settlement she received from Royal Caribbean cruise line.
Fox News: Widow Says Husband Who Disappeared on Cruise Mixed Alcohol, Prescription Drugs
Missing man’s widow says he mixed booze with pills
Doesn’t this remind one of the phrase, in all due respect? Jennifer Hagel Smith states that she is not saying that prescription drugs and alcohol caused her husband’s death … she’s just saying. Well if we are to take that tact Miss Hagel Smith then there are many things and people that could have been responsible for George Smith’s death isn’t there???
Hagel Smith is not saying the prescription drugs and alcohol caused her husband’s death, Sheeley said.
“But it could have contributed to an accident that caused his death,” he said.
The claim that George Smith used alcohol and prescription drugs the night he disappeared came in a new legal filing Friday in Stamford Superior Court.
He (Hagel Smith attorney) said that there was only a “spec” of blood found in the cabin, and that what was originally believed to be blood on a towel turned out to be makeup. No wonder there was no blood in the cabin … it was all below on the deck!
So why does Jennifer Hagel Smith only now bring up the prescription drug and alcohol angle? She blames the relatives of George Smith for her actions. You know, George Smith’s loved ones who actually want answers. Unlike Jennifer Hagel Smith and Royal Caribbean who would want to hide what happened forever in a million dollar settlement. Why wouldn’t George Smith’s family be upset over the Hagel Smith/Royal Caribbean settlement? The family wanted justice for George, not money!
Michael Jones, a lawyer for Smith’s family, said Sheeley’s comments were not accurate, but declined to elaborate. He said Smith’s family continues to believe he was a victim of foul play.
Hagel Smith did not want to disclose her husband’s use of prescription drugs, but was forced to do so because of his family’s “relentless” litigation, Sheeley said.
Hagel Smith has received numerous documents, including cabin access records and statements made to investigators, Sheeley said.
Memorial Tree Grows Taller; Smith Family Fights on
Posted July 19, 2008 by Scared Monkeys Bizarre, Crime, Cruise Line, Deceased, George Allen Smith IV, Jennifer Hagel Smith, Missing Persons, WTF | 37 comments |
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I guess you can get a legal mouthpiece to say just about anything, especially when a big contingent fee is in the balance. We have only her word and the word of the cute casino manager she was all hot for that she wasn’t with him at 3:00 a.m. when he entered his cabin.
About an hour later she was passed out just outside a one-way door only a few feet from his cabin. Sounds like disco love.
It’s voodoo cooch-ay, david r.
I look at that chick-a-dee, and I see
undealt with issues.
Keep your hands and feet inside the
the ride at all times, and ya might
just want to keep one eye on your
keys and the other on your wallet.
I’ll bet that she did not bring this up during her lawsuit against Royal Caribbean.
Here’s a letter that I posted elsewhere; it represents my thoughts on the matter.
Folks, the key to all this is in the sentence that gets little attention: Jennifer Hagel filed her response to the family’s suit. From a previous story, I understand that she did this one week before the deadline for a response expired.
Let’s see … this crime took place three years ago, and oddly enough this claim has never (to my knowledge) been made public until now? Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?
How is it that she doesn’t say that this alleged mixing of prescription pills and alcohol WAS a factor … but only COULD have been?
(By the way, Ms. Hagel … if you knew about all this, did you attempt to dissuade your husband from mixing the two? Did you reason with him, urge him to leave well enough alone, and tell the ship’s crew and/or medical staff that his behavior was dangerous?
If so, I haven’t read about it. Seems to me that you were pretty sloshed yourself … there were, as I recall, witnesses to the ‘ridiculous’ report of your kicking him and of your going off with some crew member and sleeping elsewhere. I guess your concern with the alleged mixing of the two … nowhere do you present proof that it did happen … didn’t extend very far, did it?)
Of course, anyone can put a pill in a drink without someone knowing … a crew member … a possible assailant … why, even a jealous or angry spouse. This is not an accusation of Ms. Hagel, simply an observation.
But let’s assume for the moment that George did mix the two, admittedly an unwise action, whether done on purpose or by accident. I guess that explains why he disappeared from the ship, doesn’t it? That also explains why Royal Caribbean, which gained access to the cabin before the Turkish police did, spent hours writing a detailed report of the state of the cabin?
And, OF COURSE, that explains why Royal Caribbean crews were out there in the early hours of the next morning scrubbing away the bloody imprint of a body on the balcony below George’s cabin.
Because, you see, it was all George’s fault.
Seems to me like the sort of thing we’ve heard from Aruba … Natalee Holloway was in a bar in May 2005 and had a drink too many.(Even Aruba police say that that bar was known for putting drugs in drinks.) Then she was driven away by three guys who told a story that they later admitted was a lie ….
But let’s blame Natalee. After all, drugging drinks is a crime. Kidnapping is a crime. Rape is a crime. And murder is a crime too.
Forget all those. The REAL issue is … did Natalee have a drink too many?
(Remember, too, she was of age to drink. Joran van der Sloot, 17 at the time, wasn’t even able to drink under Aruban law. Interesting that he was a regular customer at that bar and at a casino.)
But getting back to Ms. Hagel’s comments, which for the first time in three years are made just as she files a response to the Smiths’ suit … she says that she has gotten information from the cruise line.
It’s worth pointing out that by making a separate deal, that same information was NOT made available to the Smith family. That was their goal, as I understand; not cashing in, but getting the truth.
What was your goal, Ms. Hagel? Money, yes; but truth? And why are you making this statement now; cozying up to Royal Caribbean, perhaps? Or are they going to launch another phony PR campaign?
I look forward to seeing you answer questions in court.
(end of letter)
Remember, folks, Royal Caribbean was the cruise line that the family of Amy Bradley were traveling on when she vanished ten years ago as the ship was docking in Curacao.
Most people have no idea of the number of crimes that take place on cruise ships. If you are interested, take a look at the Web site for International Cruise Victims.
Remember, if you’re a passenger on one of these vessels … there is no protection. And if something happens, you will be fighting an organization with lots of money, big lobbying power in Congress, ties to industries who want to keep shearing the sheep, and a PR organization that has more influence than you will ever have.
Sometimes an ACCIDENT is just that, an ACCIDENT!!!The guys family were NOT THERE so how can they say he did not mix prescription drugs and alcohol??? He was an adult and responsible for himself, his wife is not his keeper, we all have to take personal responsability, it is not always someones fault!!!
Certainly not a romantic honeymoon!!!!
I thought it was said a long time ago that there was blood on the mattress….we’ll never get the true story as usual…
fatal honeymoon.. how sad.. we will never know all the true facts.. we can assume and speculate all we want .. but like brie said.. we wont get the true story as usual..
According to Wikipedia information the Smith’s made friends with a group of Russian-Jews in their early 20’s and were naturalized American citizens living in Brooklyn….a passenger in the next room said he heard loud noises and furniture being moved around the Smith’s room and two of those men were seen in the corridor living the room….a few days later the 3 men were put off the ship in Italy….
The article also stated that a fall from the balcony to the to the canopy wasn’t that far and wouldn’t of resulted in the amount of blood that was there…
Mary (#6) … The point is, Jennifer Hagel hasn’t made such a comment since George went missing just over three years ago. Now, all of a sudden, she’s filing a response to the family’s case … and she suddenly comes out with this?
Morever, she says specifically that this alleged mixture of prescription drugs and alcohol is not necessarily responsible for his death … she’s saying only that it COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR.
Just like Natalee Holloway … George Smith made himself vanish.
The article says that Royal Caribbean turned over information to her. However, she has not shared it with the family, judging from what I’ve read.
Originally, she and the family had a joint suit against Royal Caribbean. At the last moment, she opted out … thereby making herself, if I understand correctly, eligible for a $1 million payment.
Smell a rat? I do.
Think it suspicious that Royal Caribbean was scrubbing off the top of the canopy right below George’s cabin? I do.
Wonder why Jennifer Hagel, that night, was sleeping outside of the cabin, had to be carried back to it … and the next morning, when she woke up, was fit enough to rush down to the spa for a beauty treatment (apparently never bothering to look around for her husband)?
I sure as hell do.
The point being … she’s now, presumably, going to be back in the public eye. All of a sudden, this comes out.
Is it true? As I say in my letter, let’s blame Natalee Holloway for having a drink too much.
I don’t think she made herself vanish either.
One more thing … I don’t believe that Jennifer Hagel makes clear how she knows this. At least in this bit of the article, it isn’t clear that she saw George do this or whether she inferred it.
Did he take the pills deliberately, if at all?
Did he mix the pills with alcohol by accident?
(There’s no evidence that I know of to suggest that she could have had a hand in it all….)
But my point is … she says, now, that she knows he did this, meaning she knew at the time that he did this.
If so … what was her behavior? As a newly married wife, was she running around trying to dissuade him? Was she asking the bar staff not to serve George any more drinks? Was she going to the ship’s doctor talking about it?
From what I’ve read … she was soused herself. She was screaming at her new husband and kicked him in the groin, according to some witnesses (NOT hearsay).
We don’t have George here to speak for himself, unfortunately … any more than we have Natalee to defend herself against Deepak Kalpoe’s comments that she dressed and acted like a slut.
We don’t have, as far as I know, one iota of evidence to support Jennifer Hagel’s accusation.
What we DO know is that after three years, she is making this claim for the first time.
And that now her claim to the settlement money of more than $1 million that Royal Caribbean is poised to pay her … on condition that the inquiry is closed, something that the Smith family are fighting … she is being called on the carpet once again.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Losing her husband on her honeymoon could not of been anything easy to deal with…I don’t think Jennifer had anything to do with his death….it was said that he bragged about having fifty thousand dollars on him…but apparently she never had any access to the money because her father had to wire her money to get home….
Now if the cruise line has given her any information about his disappearance that should of been shared with the family…but it is obvious they are not on good terms…
I am interested, Richard, why you think that the guys family should get a share of the money, she is his wife and therefore his next of kin, similar to the Heath Ledger estate, how his family are keeping ANY of his money is beyond me, it should ALL go to his child. As for the claims of a drug, alcohol claim, maybe ALL has not appeared in the press. This is what really shocks me about American shows like, OTR, Geraldo etc, speculation, innuendo somehow turns into fact, i think it dangerous and often libelous.I understand the anchors on these programmes are from a legal backgrounds and not journalistic, i wish they had more respect for the legal process, i think it takes important issues and turns them into tabloid fodder.
Mary UK (#14) … I’m not talking about the money per se. What I’m saying is that the Smiths and Jennifer Hagel, to my understanding, had a joint lawsuit against Royal Caribbean.
Then Jennifer Hagel withdrew from the lawsuit and made a separate agreement with Royal Caribbean that, in essence, ended the investigation into what happened that night.
This didn’t end the criminal probe by the FBI, but thwarted the family’s attempt to get answers.
In return for this, my understanding is, Ms. Hagel is eligible to get a payment of more than $1 million if her deal is sustained.
So she blocks the probe, frustrates the desires of the Smith family to get at the truth, and cashes in big time.
Smell a rat? I do.
And again … why is it that Jennifer Hagel in three years never advanced this claim about prescription drug abuse (she doesn’t clarify whether it was deliberate or accidental) … until now?
Moreover, how is it relevant? As I said above, Natalee Holloway didn’t make herself vanish. George Smith Jr. didn’t make himself vanish from the ship.
Even Jennifer Hagel says that the alleged mixing of drugs and booze was, at most, only a POSSIBLE factor in this tragedy. So, really, I don’t even see that it makes any difference in the case … sounds to me like she’s putting this out at the behest of someone.
Who has the most to lose? She can lose her payoff from the cruise line … and the cruise line could face some embarrassing questions, such as why it sent people out at 4 a.m. to eliminate crime evidence.
So the upshot of this whole thing is … in my eyes, this makes Jennifer Hagel look even more suspicious and sleazy than she did before.
If that is possible.
And this charge is nothing but a distraction from the main issue, which is not whether George Smith (like Natalee Holloway) acted unwisely … but what CRIMES were committed. That’s my view.
Brie (#13) … The issue is, in part, whether Royal Caribbean pursued a “divide and conquer” strategy here. i think it very likely indeed.
By forking over cash to Jennifer Hagel, the cruise line enlisted her in its attempt to close down the investigation. She says that she has gotten lots of data from the cruise line … but if her goal was justice, by sticking with the family she would have wound up with access to that information anyway.
What she got was a big cash payoff. What Royal Caribbean got was her okay to not press matters any further. What the Smiths got was nothing … except another barrier to finding out the truth.
How many women AND men marry their spouse for the new insurance policy? I’d say WAY too many….but…this lovely new bride knew that would be too obvious, so it was best he “go missing” on the honeymoon. That way, the lawsuit will not be a suspicious way to make the money she married him for!
Pretty smart for an evil old witch, don’t you think? Yes…I did see the photos with the blood on that awning (or whatever it was). WAY too much blood for such a short fall. I feel she planned this and did offer to pay off whoever “did him in” and dumped him over. does this make sense to anyone besides me???
Brenda
I can’t say, Brenda … but my understanding is that she did pretty well for herself by coming into almost all of George’s property AND the $1 million payoff (if you choose to see it that way) from Royal Caribbean.
Once again … never until now, in the three years since George went missing, did she EVER raise this allegation about mixing prescription drugs and alcohol … and it seems to be totally irrelevant to the CRIME(s) that took place.
Smearing the missing … we’ve seen that in Aruba.
Didn’t work there; won’t work here, I hope.
#6 - I agree. Sometimes an accident is an accident. This is one of those cases where we’ll never know the truth.
It will be interesting to see how this turns out…I think there is a lot of bitterness on both sides of the family…but the important thing is that George lost his life and no one can prove how or why…and we will probably never no…I don’t think the cruise line provided Jennifer with any data, they washed everything away so the passengers weren’t gawking….
We may never know the exact truth … in theory, anyway, the FBI is still pursuing its criminal investigation, which is not affected by any agreement between Royal Caribbean and Jennifer Hagel … but we do know that this whole issue is an irrelevancy (as even Jennifer Hagel says) that is raised at the last minute.
And Natalee Holloway may have had a drink too many. So if she disappeared, blame her.
Please don’t assume that the Smith’s don’t have a vested interest in this settlement. They do. Jennifer is being crucified because she chose to protect Goerge’s reputation and not feed the fact that he mixed perscription drugs and alcohol to the media. It is naive to think that this has not come up privately in dispositions and F.B.I. polygraph interviews with Jennifer. The Smiths have attacked Jennifer with a vengence over the past three years and will do anything in their power to slander her. I applaud her for not sitting by and taking their abuse without a rebuttal. Their claim is that George is worth more than the settlement, pure and simple and they stand to benefit from any increase in the settlement. This soulds like it’s all about the money. Also, by contesting it, they are preventing access to additional information that becomes held until this is settled. As for the perscription drugs and alcohol. I would think that George took them at a certain time of day, as most people on perscription medications do. I don’t think Jennifer could have had any more control over George’s drinking than any of his friends and family had over the years. By his mother’s own admission on a television interview, George was a “Party Animal”. George made a bad decision that night and a terrible accident probably resulted from it - end of story. Does this mean George was a bad guy? Of course not! He was young and carefree and never realized the consequences a night of partying could result in. This was a couple that was very much in love. Don’t let one tragic night define what was a beautiful three year relationship. Those of us who knew this couple saw firsthand the genuine love and affection they had for each other. Jennifer and George have been painted in a light that was nothing like them in real life.
Why are the Smith’s not privy to the information concerning their son…?
I do think Jennifer knows more than what she is telling…..
Also wonder, if she was that intoxicated and supposedly drugged how could she get up early in the morning and go to the spa at 8:30…she and George had appointments together at 10:00…she said sometimes he didn’t come back to the room at night but why didn’t she wait in the room until a little before 10:00 to see if he was coming….maybe she knew he wasn’t coming…seems like she was in a hurry to get out of the room…
What kind of an accident does Jennifer think George could of had….?
And so convenient that the 3 men seen leaving George’s room ordered room service…
They have been privy to information. There is additional information that will be released when the probate is settled because it is part of that package. Noone will have access to that until it’s settled. Jennifer has been extensively interviewed by the F.B.I. and give a polygraph - what could she be hiding? During that night, the ship travelled through a time zone (this can all be verified). Jennifer had the time wrong. She went there without George because she thought she was running late instead of early. My own opinion is that George sat on the railing, lit his cigar (remember the chair was set with it’s back against the railing) and either fell asleep or lost his balance and fell. What Jennifer thinks is not my information to have.
There was a bloody hand print on the railing of the balcony, if George had just fallen overboard that would not of been there….an article said there was too much blood on the canopy from such a short fall…so I don’t know what to believe…
But it was so horrible the way the cruise line treated Jennifer they just left her on a dock with the luggage….I bet she was hysterical… the ship did nothing to help her get back to the states…you would think they would of provided her safety and made arrangements with the airlines for her….that was beyond cold and callous, not to mention the danger they put her in…all alone, can’t speak the language, terrifying
There was no bloody handprint on the railing. This is another example of all the misinformation floating around out there. Also, I think it was quite a fall onto that canopy. Another thought, if someone threw you overboard, whouldn’t you scream on the way down? I think George was caught off guard by either passing out, falling asleep or losing his balance while sitting on the railing. The back of the chair was found against the railing. I agree with you that it was a horrible ordeal for Jennifer in Turkey. I think the cruise lines are all taking a lesson from this and trying to improve their methods of operation when something like this occurs.
#25….check international time zone…the international time is the same in Greece as it is in Turkey….so what time zone are you talking about?
To #18 - Richard - That comment about George’s property is inaccurate. The property that Jennifer “came into” was jointly bought and owned by both of them long before they were married. I doubt that would serve as anyone’s consolation for losing their husband. Also, I commend Jennifer for keeping quiet as long as she did to help shield George from public judgement. Shame on the Smiths for the relentless attacks on this woman. As far as embarrassing Jennifer, I think she has pretty much been dragged through enough mud. I don’t know what would possibly be left.
I’m not quite sure what the entire law suit is about…if it was an accident and George’s fault why are the cruise lines giving the settlement, if it’s about the way they handle the whole thing and the way they treated Jennifer I can see that…but they do not know if there was a crime committed…I guess they just wanted to silence her from talking about Royal Caribbean…however this does not close down the investigation, so hopefully the FBI will find the answers…but I understand there are things that Jennifer is not allowed to talk about while they are ramping the investigation….
George could of fallen off the railing and was maybe holding onto a glass and landed on it….if you cut yourself with alcohol in your blood stream you bleed even worse….
Sad certainly lives up to the name.
Quoth Sad: “if someone threw you overboard, whouldn’t (sic) you scream on the way down”?
Not if you were dead before you hit the water or the canopy, my friend.
Try to explain why this report is coming out after three years of silence. Because she’s tired of being a martyr? Uh-huh ….
Maybe it has something to do with her payoff from Royal Caribbean, in return for which she, as “next of kin,” split off from the Smith family (they originally had a joint suit against the cruise line) and said that she thought the investigation had gone far enough?
That sounds like the selfless, devoted wife, doesn’t it? “Well, my husband’s gone … but that’s okay, so long as I cash in.”
My understanding is that the Smiths are seeking to have her ousted as executrix of the estate and want her agreement with Royal Caribbean rescinded.
That way, their quest for the truth can continue.
Jennifer Hagel is in a position to close it off and get Royal Caribbean off the hook. If the cruise line has nothing to hide, why is it willing to pay her over $1 million?
Take a look at the Web site of International Cruise Victims to see what happens to people who fall victim to crime at sea.
Or don’t bother if you’re one of those who say “It’s their own fault.”
Just like it is Natalee Holloway’s fault for disappearing on Aruba … she asked for it, I guess.
Under the terms of her agreement with Royal Caribbean, the cruise line has said that it will release information to Jennifer. As far as I know, none of this has been made public and none of this has been shared with the Smith family.
My guess: she isn’t interested in anything but the payoff.
I can certainly see where the Smith family is coming from…why can’t information be released to George’s family….why make that agreement with the cruise line…the family deserves answers too….They obviously don’t trust Jennifer…..
She was passed out in a corridor and her husband is suddenly dead….screaming at him in public and kicking him in groin…fact or fiction…I don’t know…people do get drunk and do things….but she said that it is ridiculous and it didn’t happen….
I know it wasn’t right the way the cruise line treated Jennifer but it is not right the way the cruise line is treating the Smith family either…
Did they every find a prescription bottle, I’m sure he didn’t carry it around in his pocket….?
I saw a video and apparently they got engaged in Aruba on the beach…that was probably the first mistake…..!!!!!
The affair is now in the hands of the courts, and sooner or later they will deliver their decision.
My understanding is that if the Smiths lose their appeal, then Jennifer Hagel remains executrix of George’s estate, she gets her payoff, and Royal Caribbean delivers to her … and to her ONLY … whatever documents it sees fit to deliver.
Do you trust them? Read the stories on the Web page of International Cruise Victims … one that comes to mind is the tragedy of Merriam Carver, the daughter of Ken Carver. She vanished from a cruise, and the steward of her cabin was told to continue business as usual and say nothing.
When the cruise ended, her things were put into storage … and some of them were thrown out. The cruise line arbitrarily decided to do this with stuff that didn’t even belong to it.
From what I’ve read, the Carvers spent thousands and thousands of dollars on legal and investigative fees before the cruise line would even admit that she had gone missing.
And when Ken Carver demanded to see the security videos, he was told that they had been destroyed.
At that time THE CRUISE LINE WAS REVIEWING THEM.
Don’t take my word for it; go check it out … this and many other tragedies.
The conclusion that I draw from Jennifer Hagel’s actions is that she is a pawn in the hands of Royal Caribbean (to say nothing worse) … the Smiths would never drop their suit seeking answers. So the cruise line took the ‘divide and conquer’ tactic … splitting her off from the Smiths, putting her in the payoff line and, in return, getting what it wanted … someone who would say, “I don’t want any more investigation.”
Don’t think so? Explain to me, then, why the canopy beneath George’s cabin was being scrubbed off at 4 a.m. Explain why Royal Caribbean personnel were in George’s cabin for several hours at a time when it should have been sealed off … before Turkish police got on board.
(What does that in itself tell you about the cruise ship’s honesty and competence?)
An accident? That isn’t the conclusion that the FBI has come to.
This story has moved off the front page of the ScaredMonkeys blog for now. But as with Amy Bradley, Natalee Holloway, and so many other cases, injustice is rife. If we turn our heads away, we are the ones who commit an injustice.
Reply to #31 Richard - I have never insinuated that it is their fault. I have never sided with the cruise lines. You are misinformed if you think that Jennifer is the only one with a stake in this lawsuit. The Smiths have a monetary stake in this as well. From day one it has been about the money with them. Also, as far as portraying her as being disinterested in obtaining information, Jennifer was the one that hired Henry Lee to investigate this accident, not the Smiths. I agree with you about not blaming the victims, but your portrayal of Jennifer is unfair. She is also a victim in this.
#34…Richard …That isn’t the conclusion that the FBI has come to…where can I find any information on this…thanks
The Smith family is left with nothing, such a shame…Jennifer should of stayed with them and pursued things together…
The captain just wanted everything cleaned up without even knowing what happened….it wouldn’t of been long before the Turkish police would of been there…I guess they also went through the room and wiped away any finger prints…just cover things up so the other passengers won’t know…and we don’t want a crime scene on our ship…
The article in Greenwich Citizen said the Smith appeal is to ruled on July 24, which of course is today….I guess we will get news soon…