Crimesider
Crimesider
August 6, 2009 11:48 AM

Woman Widowed on Honeymoon Cruise Dares to Love Again

By
Ryan Smith
Topics
Daily Blotter
(CBS)
George Allen Smith IV, and his wife, Jennifer Hagel Smith at their wedding.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (CBS/AP) The last time that Jennifer Hagel Smith went on a honeymoon, her husband wound up dead. Or at least he is presumed dead. George Smith, of Greenwich, CT, disappeared during the couple's 2005 honeymoon cruise, in the Aegean Sea.

The FBI investigated the case, and while Hagel Smith and others on the Meditteranean cruise have come under suspicion, no one was charged with a crime. But George Smith's family believes he was murdered.

Now Hagel Smith, the 29-year-old widow, plans to remarry-- to financial analyst Jeff Agne in the fall.

"We couldn't be happier," her father, John Hagel said Monday. "We're just thrilled she's been able to move on with her life and start a new life with Jeff. We couldn't be prouder for both of them."

(CBS)
Hagel Smith's first husband was aboard a Royal Caribbean ship on their honeymoon when he vanished somewhere between Greece and Turkey following a night of heavy drinking. His body hasn't been found, presumably having gone overboard in the darkness of the night.

The cruise line said his wife was found passed out on a floor on the other side of the ship.

There was a huge stain on a metal canopy some 20 feet below couple's balcony the morning after the disappearance. A photo of the stain was captured by 16-year-old passenger Emilie Rausch, before cruise staff quickly washed it away.

Less than 10 days before they set sail, George Allen Smith IV and Jennifer Hagel married in a picture-perfect wedding on a hilltop overlooking the bay in Newport, Rhode Island.

Asked to describe his son, George Smith says he was very devoted and a family person. Speaking about his daughter-in-law, Smith says Jennifer was very outgoing, very pretty and had a great personality.

(AP Photo/Courtesy of Smith Family)
George Allen Smith IV and Jennifer Hagel Smith on July 5, 2005

The Smith family and Hagel grew apart after she reached a $1.1 million settlement with Royal Caribbean Cruises in 2007. She has said that while George may have been murdered, he also could have fallen.

Smith's family is appealing the settlement in Stamford Superior Court in Connecticut.

48 Hours Mystery Reported On The Case, Read More Here.



Add A Comment +

Follow Crimesider

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
48 Hours 48 Hours for iPad® A perfect companion to TV's most popular true-crime series.
CBS News on Facebook

  • 48 Hours iPad App

    Big changes for the 2012-2013 season! Watch the current week's episode for FREE up to a week after it airs or subscribe for access to all shows, classic episodes and more!