07-01-2006, 04:46 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 76
|  Cruise operator, wife settle. Husband vanished during 2005 honeymoon
By Tom Stieghorst
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted July 1 2006 Royal Caribbean Cruises will pay the wife of missing passenger George Smith IV an undisclosed sum as part of a comprehensive settlement reached with the cruise line, her attorney said on Friday. The settlement came before the filing of a lawsuit by Jennifer Hagel Smith, who was on her honeymoon when her husband disappeared last July 5. Blood was found in the cabin and on a canopy outside the Smiths' balcony after he went missing. On Thursday, Smith's parents and sister filed suit in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, accusing Royal Caribbean of covering up a possible crime to protect its public image. Miami-based Royal Caribbean denies it did so. Hagel Smith and Royal Caribbean disclosed their settlement late Thursday. The night that George Smith vanished from the Brilliance of the Seas, Hagel Smith was found sleeping in a hallway on the other side of the ship from the couple's cabin. Crew members helped her back to the cabin, where she awoke the next morning and went to the spa before learning Smith was missing. Terms of the settlement must be approved by a probate court in Connecticut, the Smiths' home state. In addition to paying Hagel Smith, Royal Caribbean will make a donation to a foundation she is starting to memorialize Smith. "We believe this agreement will help Jennifer to move forward in her life, while honoring the memory of her beloved husband," Royal Caribbean said in a statement. Hagel Smith's attorney, James Walker, said Royal Caribbean also will give her access to information and documents it holds upon completion of the settlement, to help her in understanding Smith's disappearance. Smith was last seen with several other male passengers. The FBI is investigating a possible rape of a female passenger that occurred three days after Smith disappeared. Royal Caribbean said several of the men seen last with Smith were part of that investigation. No charges have been filed in either incident. Tom Stieghorst can be reached at tstieghorst@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5008.
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