FBI Closes Investigation into Greenwich Honeymooner's Disappearance

Nearly a decade after he disappeared while on his honeymoon cruise, the FBI in New Haven has closed its investigation into the disappearance of Greenwich resident George Smith IV.

In an announcement posted on the Justice for George Smith Facebook page, Smith’s family announced on Wednesday they “attended a meeting at the New Haven FBI during which we were informed by Patricia M. Ferrick, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s New Haven Division, that the Connecticut FBI is closing the investigation into George’s death. We were told by the Connecticut FBI that there was not enough evidence to prove that George had been murdered and that his death may have been the result of an accident!”

Smith’s family also said, “We are outraged and disgusted by this justice system.”

Smith, 26, was honeymooning on the Royal Caribbean ship Brilliance of the Seas cruising between Greece and Turkey with his bride, Jennifer Hagel Smith, when he disappeared following a night of drinking in July 2005.

The Smith family intends to continue their pursuit of finding out what happened to George.

They said in their Facebook posting, “If anything positive came out of this meeting it’s that we are free to attempt to move George’s investigation to another jurisdiction, such as New York. Upon request from our attorney Michael Jones, the Connecticut FBI agreed not to block our efforts to move the case away from Connecticut and that will be our next step forward.”

The family is continuing its $100,000 reward offer for information that will help with determining what happened to Smith. The case, which has been the subject countless media articles and television programs and books, also prompted a series of Congressional hearings into the safety of the cruise line industry.

Naugatuck writer Joan Lownds — with the cooperation of the Smith family, published the book ‘Man Overboard — Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder,’ in 2011 which detailed the case.

Smith’s widow remarried in 2009 and is estranged from the Smith family. She accepted a $1.1 million settlement from Royal Caribbean Cruises.

Photo via Justice for George Smith Facebook page.

To sign up for breaking news alerts and more, click here.

Check out more on Patch:

• Seven Greenwich High Students Are Semifinalists in Intel Science Talent Search
• Greenwich Man Faces Tampering with a Witness Charge
• Safety Tips on Dealing with the Deep Freeze in Greenwich