In the summer of 2005, George Allen Smith IV, a 26-year-old from Greenwich, Connecticut, vanished while on a honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean. He and his new wife, Jennifer Hagel, had been married just eleven days when they embarked on a two-week trip aboard the Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas. The early morning hours of July 5, 2005, were the last time George was seen alive; he disappeared somewhere in the Aegean Sea, between Greece and Turkey.
The alarm was raised later that morning when other passengers discovered a significant bloodstain on a lifeboat canopy located directly below the balcony of the couple's cabin. Evidence suggesting a struggle was also found inside the stateroom, where traces of blood were discovered. His wife, who had been found by cruise ship staff passed out in a hallway around 4:30 a.m., had little to no memory of the preceding events.
The investigation into George's disappearance was complex from the start, involving Turkish authorities, the cruise line, and eventually the FBI. From the beginning, his family was adamant that his disappearance was not an accident. Their belief was supported by an eyewitness who reported hearing a loud argument on the Smith's balcony that night. The focus of the investigation soon turned to four men who were the last to be seen with George: Josh Askin and three Russian-American men, Gregory Rozenberg, Zach Rozenberg, and Rostislav Kofman. These men claimed they had escorted a heavily intoxicated George back to his cabin and put him to bed. However, their accounts were called into question, especially after a video they filmed hours after George went missing came to light. In the video, the men made callous remarks about George's death, with one reportedly bragging and flashing what appeared to be gang signs. Another of the men was recorded mocking George, saying, 'we gave that guy a paragliding lesson without a parachute.'
Despite the suspicious circumstances and the family's relentless pursuit of justice, no charges have ever been filed in connection with George's disappearance. His body has never been recovered, and he is presumed to be deceased. In 2006, his widow, Jennifer Hagel Smith, accepted a settlement of over a million dollars from Royal Caribbean. The FBI officially closed its investigation in January 2015, stating there was not enough evidence to prove that a murder had occurred and that his death may have been the result of an accident. The Smith family expressed their outrage at this decision, convinced that George was murdered. The case remains a haunting mystery, an overview of a honeymoon that ended in tragedy, leaving a family with unanswered questions and a profound sense of loss. The disappearance of George Smith IV highlighted concerns about safety and the handling of criminal investigations on cruise ships, leading to broader discussions about passenger rights at sea.Last Seen: Jul 5, 2005
