Naman Shrestha
A honeymoon on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas turned fatal for George Allen Smith, who disappeared in the early hours of July 5, 2005. The situation spread dread across the entire cruise ship as the passengers were shocked and left with many unanswered questions. The investigation led the authorities to a few persons of interest, but nothing definitive came out of it. The mysterious case and the years-long investigation that ensued are covered extensively in CBS’ ’48 Hours: Murder at Sea?,’ which also features heartfelt interviews with George’s loved ones.
George Smith Possessed a Grand Vision to Elevate His Family Business
Born on October 3, 1978, to Maureen and George Smith, George Allen Smith IV originally hailed from Glenville in Fairfield County, Connecticut. He was raised alongside his elder sister, Bree, in a nurturing environment, always enveloped by the love and warmth of their parents. George grew into a free-spirited and kind individual who lived life on his own terms. He obtained a business degree in computer science from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and relocated to Stamford, Connecticut, after bagging a job at a computer firm. He loved all things electronics and was always hungry to get more informed on the subject, as well as Internet search engines. A while later, he took up a job in Boston and moved there, quickly impressing everyone with his skills.
During the holidays, George would return home to spend time with his folks and also work on improving business at his father’s store, Cos Cob Liquor. However, as a pleasant surprise to his family members, he moved back to his hometown in 2003, declaring he was exhausted from the usual desk job. George aimed to get his father’s business to newer heights and laid down the plans to do the same by working on improving the store’s systems, creating a website, and getting a place at Byram to remain close to the liquor store. After all, the father-son duo envisioned that the latter would take over the business soon.
George Smith Looked Forward to a Future With Jennifer Until Tragedy Struck
On the personal front, George Smith was in a steady relationship with Jennifer Hagel for about a year at the time. The two met in Newport, Rhode Island, in the Summer of 2002. George was on vacation with his friends and had to seek help from Jennifer’s brother when the shower of the group’s rented summer share stopped working. It was how he stumbled upon Jennifer. One thing led to another, and they got together. The two realized quite early on that they were meant to be. Thus, in June 2005, after three years of togetherness, they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at Castle Hill Inn & Resort, a waterfront venue in Newport. Just 11 days later, the two embarked on their honeymoon trip on board a luxurious Mediterranean cruise named Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas that set sail from Barcelona for a two-week voyage across Greece, Turkey, Italy, and other spots.
George and Jennifer were celebrating their matrimony, making beautiful memories on the cruise. However, everything changed on July 5, 2005, when they headed to the casino around midnight. Sometime between 4 and 4:30 am, he reportedly fell overboard from the balcony of his cabin, never to be seen again. The crew and other cruise members discovered Jennifer lying unconscious in the hallway in the morning. Since the ship was in the middle of Greece and Turkey, the Turkish authorities and the FBI were informed. Upon investigating the scene, the authorities obtained blood-stained sheets from the pair’s room, along with stains on the canopy over the lifeboats, which were planked several feet from their room. A bloody handprint was also recovered from the edge of the balcony, seemingly from when George was trying to prevent a fall. Furthermore, a few passengers reported hearing what seemed like noise resulting from a scuff and a loud thud, likely around the time he fell. Sadly, even after two decades, the case of George Smith’s death remains unsolved.
George’s Disappearance Was Linked to the Men They Hung Out With the Night Before
As part of the investigation, the authorities retraced George Smith’s steps from the fateful night. They learned that around 2 am on July 5, 2005, George and his wife, Jennifer, allegedly got into a fight at one of the bars on the ship, after which she stormed outside alone. As per reports, he continued hanging out with a group of men he had met on the ship, including two Russian-American cousins, Zachary and Gregory Rozenberg, Rusty Kofman, and Josh Askin. After a while, he reportedly disappeared, with evidence of blood stains in his cabin pointing to foul play. Another reason the police suspected homicide was that it seemed as if George was thrown off the ship or fallen overboard.
When the four men who were last seen with George were questioned, they claimed that they had helped him walk back to his room after the party, as he was allegedly in a drunken state. Although the men told the authorities that they had left the room soon, the cabin showed evidence of an attempted robbery gone wrong. Given the suspicious circumstances, Zachary, Gregory, Rusty, and Josh became persons of interest in the case. By late July 2005, the FBI took over the investigation, hoping to get to the bottom of the case. Despite conducting interviews with the four men, no solid evidence or leads were found.
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FBI Closed the Case After Nearly a Decade of Investigation
However, in the surveillance footage of the fateful night, one of the Russian-American cousins was reportedly seen hunching his shoulders and flashing gang signs, indicating George’s death. Since two of the persons of interest resided in New York, the Smith family insisted on the transfer of jurisdiction from the Connecticut office of the FBI to the New York headquarters. During the investigation, Jennifer was also criticized and blamed for George’s disappearance. In her defense, she claimed that the tragedy occurred due to his intoxication. On June 29, 2006, Jennifer accepted compensation of $1.1 million from Royal Caribbean International, but it was later challenged by the Smith family.
Despite the passing of several years, the Smith family hoped to find the answers in connection with the disappearance of their beloved, George, who they believed had been killed. In 2013, Maureen Smith told CNN, “It’s very difficult, and we have had many obstacles put in our path, but we are still here and we are still fighting.” After nearly a decade of investigation, on January 9, 2015, the FBI officially closed the case due to a lack of evidence. One of the persons of interest, Gregory Rozenberg, was killed right outside his house in Davie, Florida, in December 2019. His sudden demise also shrouded the case of George with more mystery.
