Raymond Seitz and Jennifer Ellis-Seitz on their wedding day
Since the disappearance of 36-year-old Jennifer Seitz from the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship on Christmas night, there have been many unanswered questions and much speculation about what happened that evening.
Raymond Seitz has been advised by the FBI and the NCL staff not to talk to the media, so in an attempt to piece together the events that led up to Jennifer’s disappearance, I have been in contact with family members and friends to get a glimpse into the lives of the couple, and what may have happened that fateful night.
Raymond (Ray) Seitz and Jennifer Ellis were married in a wedding chapel in Las Vegas on December 8, 2007. They met five years earlier at a weight-loss support group meeting where, in Jennifer’s words, they “became the best of friends.”
In the “About me” section of her Myspace page, Jennifer wrote:
About me:
Yep, that’s Ray and I about five years after we met. It’s not really champagne, by the way, it’s sparkling cider– that’s why Ray is looking funny. He wishes it were real…ha ha ha So, about us: Well, we were fat, now we’re not. We first met at a weight-loss support group meeting where we became the best of friends. Dieting is hard, but it helps to have a buddy and that’s what we were to each other–JUST FRIENDS. Five years and a lifetime of bad relationships that pushed us only closer together we are married and planning our future together! A home of our own, a family, who knows….it’s the year of a gazillion dreams, right? 🙂
According to family and friends, Ray loved and respected Jennifer. “He thought the world of her” a friend close to the couple told me.
When I asked if there were problems in the marriage, one family member said, “Asking if there were any “problems” in the marriage is like asking if they ever went grocery shopping. What couple doesn’t have some issues they’re working on? I know that they were very good about communicating whatever was going on and talking through it. Their relationship was extremely communicative. As for him acting “odd” after discovering her missing and reporting it. I can tell you for certain he was in shock, he still is. I don’t think the reality of it all has hit him yet.”
Many people were puzzled when Jennifer’s family issued a statement saying she was in a very happy and uplifted mood both before and during the cruise,” but then added that Jennifer had “emotional issues” and “the family suspects that Jennifer chose an unfortunate ending to her life. She was a beautiful and caring person and will be truly missed by all who love her.”
By all accounts, Jennifer was an outgoing, gregarious and upbeat person. During her years as a drama teacher at Auburndale High School in Florida, students would often go to her classroom for lunch, according to one source. “EVERYONE loved her,” the former student told me. “She was always there for students. She was very down to earth.”
“I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this as… I remember her being so upbeat loving life… just weird,” the student continues. “This is something she would try to talk anyone out of. Just seems fishy to a lot of people.”
At least one family member I talked with believes Jennifer’s upbeat attitude was a front. “I think she was tortured in her own mind, I don’t think she ever thought she was good enough (for herself). As accomplished and educated as she was, it wasn’t enough. As for being upbeat, anytime she was around anyone except her immediate family, I think she kept up a really good front, but honestly, there were times in a social setting – and it would only be a moment, she looked very distraught and irritated, and it seemed she would take a few deep breaths and regroup and paste that big smile right back on her face.”
Jennifer longed to belong and was determined to be accepted, coming across as very “in your face” and overbearing at times. “It was like she couldn’t relax and just be. She tried very hard to be impressive at all times,” said one source, who also claims there were times when Jennifer couldn’t make it to events because she “wasn’t feeling well and needed to sleep,” adding, “Her highs were really high and her lows were rock bottom. Add alcohol and that’s a serious recipe for disaster.”
As a gastric bypass patient, alcohol tended to hit Jennifer hard and fast, and she and Ray had argued about her drinking earlier on the day she went missing. When he asked her to slow down a bit, she offhandedly threatened to jump off the ship. According to sources, Jennifer and her mother also had words that evening on the same subject.
On the evening of December 25, Jennifer and her mother Donna (whom Jennifer named as her hero on Myspace), met another passenger aboard the ship that they referred to as “the engineer.” The man came back to their cabin where he ordered up two bottles of Dom Perignon. According to sources, the man “drank himself sick” and vomited in their shower before going back to his own cabin alone.
It is believed that Donna had left the cabin at this point, and Raymond was beckoning Jennifer to stop drinking and come to bed. She refused and continued to drink – rambling, which sources say she did at times. When Jennifer exhibited this behavior on previous occasions, her family instructed Ray to “tune her out,” telling him “it will pass.”
Raymond went to sleep. When he awoke around 1:00 a.m. Jennifer was not in the cabin. He walked the ship looking for her, and when he couldn’t find her he went back to the cabin and woke Donna around 2:00 a.m. to ask her if she knew where Jennifer was. She, like Raymond, believed Jennifer was probably walking the decks, and when the two of them couldn’t find her, they notified the cruise line.
According to sources, Jennifer had threatened and/or attempted suicide in the past, and one family member reported that in recent years Jennifer “began hearing evil voices in her head.” After numerous attempts by the family to help, the best they could do was “tune her out.”
Surveillance video from the cruise ship shows a woman going overboard around 8:00 p.m. on Christmas night, and the FBI is investigating whether or not a crime was committed that evening.
Although what happened to Jennifer Ellis-Seitz on Christmas night is still a mystery, this is a difficult time for family and friends of the missing woman.
There has been no mention of “the engineer” in media reports, and I’m not aware of whether he is a person of interest in the investigation, however, family members do not seem to think he played a role in Jennifer’s disappearance.
The U.S. Coast Guard officially ended their search for Jennifer on Monday.
Jennifer and Ray Seitz’ wedding photos, as well as entries from Jennifer’s Myspace page can be seen below.
Raymond Seitz and Jennifer Ellis-Seitz wedding photos
Jennifer’s Myspace blog entries:
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
12:46 PM
We got married and our first Christmas sucks
Current mood: exhausted
Category: Romance and RelationshipsWell, we did it, we got married December 8 in Las Vegas, NV. Pics are on shutterfly, let me know if you want to check them out! Because what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas lets just say it was an awesome wedding followed by a lot of gaming and drinking! All-in-all we came out ahead cash wise and everyone who came (all 8 of us) had a great time.
Personally, I’m still on medical leave, this thyroid condition is horrible. My options are sad…they are talking about radiation to kill the thyroid then surgery to remove it. Whoopie, wonder if I’ll glow in the mountain? The knee is doing OK, I do my PT every day and have kept my weight at a normal level. I must admit, not standing on it for eight to 12 hours per day helps a little. I do have to take meds but only at night now.
I can’t believe I will admit this but I miss my friends at Space Mountain and can’t wait to get back. I know I’m going to miss most of the CPs before they leave, but they’ve probably forgotten about me. Heh heh, wonder if I have been gone so long the rumors have stopped or they’ve at least gotten better….who knows, perhaps my other knee/leg is fake now.
Monday, January 07, 2008
12:58 PM
Sinus infections and home businesses
Current mood: optimisticOK, after almost a week of being sick with a sinus infection (anitbiotics have helped, so has time) I am now once again able to sit at the computer without getting dizzy! Whoo hoo.
Connecticut was awesome! It was so nice meeting Ray’s aunts and uncles and his grandmother is a delight. I am really glad we got to spend some time with them. She loved the wedding photos so much, I gave her the whole album. I think it made her really happy, which is what a grandchild is supposed to do, right? Anyway, it was awesome seeing where Ray grew up, his home, his life before he moved to Florida and turned into a grownup. It was kind of neat pretending and remembering when we were kids, then reality set in. I won’t share that epiphany, it’s a little personal.
Speaking of the trip: Dec. 28-31: We spent two whole days up there in the Bridgeport area –ate a lot!–and took the train into Manhattan on Sunday. WoW! Talk about INCREDIBLE, me and Ray in Manhattan the day before New Years! We saw the ball first in the daylight and then at night. It was so fantastic! The only bad thing was it sleated when we were in Times Square so it was cold and wet and icy, not good for a 104 like me. That’s why I got sick, sleat plus a cold switch in FLA plus the flight back from CN to FLA. No wonder I got so sick.
While we were in Manhattan we saw everything a gal could imagine: Times Square, Rockafeller Center and the tree, Chinatown, Little Italy, South Street Seaport, the subway between the Park and Canal Street (again from Spring to South Street and back up to Grand Central) Grand Central Station, four restaraunts (one in Little Italy, one in Chinatown and a pizzza parlour and then a deli in Times Square) for two former fatties, we ate well and lived to pay the price later. Getting to the city and then around the city was actually easy. Trains are a miracle and I handled walking on the streets quite well. I bought shoes that could handle ice, so I was OK when sleat started. What I hated was the same thing I hate at Disney, the darned people stopping suddenly or standing in the middle of the street acting all touristy. I cannot stop short like a normal person and quite honestly, that kind of dumb behavior really ticks me off….move people, come on! I mean, honestly, can you scream YOKEL LOKEL (IE God damed tourist) a little more loudely. Why not scream, “MUG ME, I’M DUMB!” Honestly! It’s one thing in the middle of TS, but on a side street near the Seaport, we could have been mugged for God’s Sake. Ugh, people, grow up and at least pretend you are sophisticated, even if you are from Polk Co, FLA
OK, so the home biz is going well. Ray and I have a few clients for Resetting Your Seitz and so all is pretty exciting. It hasn’t helped that I couldn’t sit at the computer for four days without throwing up, but now I am back with a vengance. Here’s to 2008. I wish all a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Love,
JASCurrently reading :
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
By Anne Frank
Release date: 01 June, 1993Tuesday, January 01, 2008
1:23 PM
Year of the Rat!
Anybody else believe in the Chinese New Year and the horoscopes? Well, if you do…welcome (soon) to the Year of the Rat! I’m proud to say
I’M A RAT
Whoo whooo…………..
http://chinese.astrology.com/rat.html
Check it out!
Happy and Prosperous New Year to all. Here’s to new beginnings. I truly believe in them.
JAS
Currently listening :
I Will Survive
By Gloria Gaynor
Release date: 06 October, 1998Thursday, January 10, 2008
1:21 PM
The Future versus the Present
Current mood: blissfulI can’t believe how good things are going right now. Credit scores are up, jobs are coming our way, I’m finally healthy again (for the most part….bad news yesterday from the Doc re: my thyroid) from the darned sinus infection. I must admit, I think 2008 could be our year.
So we made it a month and last night we had date night. I think we need to do that at least once a week for our mental health and well being. It was fun, although a bit rushed because it was late at night when Ray got home from work. Ah well, that’s life, right? Most of our future date nights will surround the Orlando Predators football team. We bought season tix and I am pretty excited. Our first home game is March 14. It should be a lot of fun and we are both looking forward to it!
Speaking of excited, on Tuesday, we spent the day together working on getting his new truck for his job, driving said truck to Longwood and then working on routine maintenance. I went to the mall while Ray went to work and I tried on a pair of pants in a store I’ve wanted to shop at for YEARS. I’ve always been too fat, but on Tuesday the pants actually fit and looked GOOD. If I had money in the budget right now for pants they so would have been mine. Instead I passed and walked the mall so I could get some exercise. When I finally picked up my DH from work we stopped at EPCOT. Test Track (his fave ride) was 101 and so we did Mission Space and then Nemo before heading out. On our way back Test Track was still 101 and a maintenance guy was sitting outside their mechanic’s bay. I talked to the guy and suddenly Ray and I got a tour of the mechanical side of Test Track. Ray was so excited. That’s his passion, obviously. Still, he found out that he would make a lot less there as a pro. mechanic than what he does now, plus they make you sign a wierd long-term contract that would leave him miserable. I guess his Disney career ended right there. We’ll stay part-timers for ever though….if we can. I’m still on medical leave (if I haven’t been termed yet) and he has too many points because he has to call in when his “real job” calls. I mean, why go to SM for a few dollars an hour when he can make $30 per hour instead???? Really….why bother?
Ray’s B-day is coming up, this one isn’t a biggie but next year is so I have about a year to come up with something FABULOUS. We’ll see. I’m sure I can come up with a killer plan!
As always,
Jen
Currently watching :
Along Came Polly (Full Screen Edition)
Release date: 08 June, 2004