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Cruise Passenger May Have Ended Life, Family Says

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By JOSH POLTILOVE

jpoltilove@tampatrib.com

Published: December 30, 2008

Family members say the woman reported missing Friday from a cruise ship near Mexico "has had previous emotional issues" and might have chosen "an unfortunate ending to her life."

The Coast Guard called off its search for Jennifer Ellis-Seitz, 36, at 3 p.m. Monday. The Coast Guard and Mexico's navy had searched about 4,200 square nautical miles since the Winter Haven woman was reported missing Friday from the cruise ship near Cancun.

The Coast Guard says there are images from a cruise ship surveillance camera of someone falling overboard from the Norwegian Pearl about 8 p.m. Christmas Day.
Raymond Seitz reported his wife missing to cruise ship personnel shortly before 4 a.m. Friday. The employees searched the ship and notified the Coast Guard, but valuable hours had passed since Ellis-Seitz apparently fell overboard.

On Monday, the families released a joint statement to the Winter Haven News Chief.

"Jennifer was in a very happy and uplifted mood both before and during the cruise. She was excited about starting a new job and her future career with a local newspaper. She and her husband had been talking about starting their family.

"There were no outward signs or indication of anything being wrong or unusual. Jennifer, however, has had previous emotional issues."

The statement said Seitz and the mother of Ellis-Seitz, who had accompanied them on the trip, discovered her missing about 2 a.m. Ellis-Seitz often walked around the ship when she couldn't sleep, and Seitz began searching for her, according to the statement. Seitz and Ellis-Seitz's mother notified ship security of her disappearance about 3:30 a.m.

"The family suspects that Jennifer chose an unfortunate ending to her life," the statement said. "She was a beautiful and caring person and will be truly missed by all who love her."
Norwegian Cruise Line said the ship returned to Miami on Sunday after the seven-day western Caribbean cruise.

FBI agents have talked to Seitz. FBI spokesman Mike Leverock said agents met the ship at the dock Sunday and collected materials.
Leverock said agents still are trying to determine whether a crime occurred and may re-interview passengers, family members and crew members.

Several passengers on the ship spoke to the "Today" show after disembarking.

They said Ellis-Seitz and her husband participated in a game show on the ship called "The Not-So-Newlywed Game."

Passenger Suzanne Nestor said Ellis-Seitz was planning to spend New Year's Eve in Manhattan.

Nestor said crew members didn't tell passengers that someone was missing. People learned of the disappearance through television, she said.

That upset her husband.

"Definitely poor protocol," Jim Nestor said. "I felt that we should have at least been notified that something like this had taken place on the ship."

Ellis-Seitz, a Central Florida native, is founder of NewsHound Communications, which does writing, editing, proofreading, training and advertising, according to the company's Web site. She also is a school bus driver, amateur chef and avid traveler.

As a journalist, she worked for Florida Today, The (Lakeland) Ledger and The Tampa Tribune, according to her Web site. Tribune archives show a Jennifer Ellis was a Tribune correspondent from January to August 1997.

Court records show Raymond Seitz was arrested in April after Ellis-Seitz called 911 and told authorities he grabbed her wrist when they were arguing and hit her forehead with his forehead. About two weeks later, she signed a statement saying she wanted the charges dismissed against her husband.

In the written statement, she said "the charges are overblown and that there were underlying aggravations, including my own actions."

Court records show Seitz completed a domestic violence course and the charges against him were dismissed.

Ellis-Seitz was a temporary employee at the Polk County elections office, training poll workers.

"We're all pretty upset over the thought of her missing," said Judy Walker, a spokeswoman for the Polk County Supervisor of Elections Office.

Walker said Ellis-Seitz did a great job, was liked and had a wonderful personality.

"She was so excited about the cruise she was going on," she said.

Information from The Associated Press and the "Today" show was used in this report. News Channel 8 reporter Krista Klaus contributed to this report. Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at (813) 259-7691.

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