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4 advisories in effect for 9 regions in the area

Man’s overboard death may be linked to davie unsolved murder.

Ian Margol , Reporter

DAVIE, Fla. – It has been more than 15 years since a Connecticut man named George Smith went overboard on a cruise ship. At the time, his death was considered suspicious and now the person who may have had answers about what happened on that ship has been murdered.

In July of 2005, 26-year-old George Smith went tumbling off a cruise ship balcony into the water below. Smith was never seen again and the mystery of how he went overboard has never been solved.

“Unfortunately, there’s a possibility that we may never find out now what happened to George,” Attorney Mike Jones, who represent’s Smith’s family, said.

Smith had just been married and he was on his honeymoon.

“At one point, at about 2 a.m., they were in a disco type setting at one of the bars,” said Jones  “Unfortunately, George and Jennifer actually got in a fight and Jennifer stormed out of the club and left George behind.”

After she stormed off, Smith kept partying with a group of guys that he had met on the ship.

Hours later, the men say they walked Smith back to his room.

“They claim they just left the room, but the evidence revealed afterward was that it was an attempted robbery gone wrong,” Jones said.

The next morning all that was left of Smith was a blood stain on an overhang below his cabin’s balcony and now, 15 years later, the case remains unsolved.

One person who may know something though is Gregory Rozenberg who was one of the men Smith was hanging out with that night on the ship.

In December of 2019, Rozenberg was murdered in front of his Davie home and police believe whoever murdered him had targeted him.

Rozenberg may have taken the truth of what happened to Smith with him when he died.

Davie police are hoping to find the truth behind his murder case now. And maybe help investigators solve the circumstances behind Smith’s death, too.

Copyright 2020 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

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"Deadly Honeymoon": Speculation On A True Case

Film Critic

In 2005 there was an actual incident in which a couple was honeymooning on a cruise ship. During the course of the cruise the husband disappeared and the cause of his disappearance was never solved. Lifetime Movie Network's original but fictional film "Deadly Honeymoon" gives a speculative answer as to what might have occurred.

The film starts with the Hawaiian wedding of Trevor (Chris Carmack) and Lindsey (Summer Glau) Forrest. He is a playboy from a fairly wealthy family, and she is the girl who scored the big prize. After their marriage they embark on a cruise. On the cruise several events occur, mostly concerning Trevor's propensity to over gamble and over drink.

After a night of gambling and drinking the couple disappears. Lindsey is found in a hallway of the ship. She seems confused and states she can not remember how she got there. Trevor can not be found. A check of their room shows a broken bottle, some blood around the room, and finally a bloody handprint on the railing outside their stateroom.

There is a vacationing FBI agent on board. Her name is Gwen Merced (Zoe McLellan) and she begins to investigate the groom's disappearance. She is assisted by a security officer on the ship named Sherrick (Erik Palladino). Together they manage to put a few of the missing pieces together.

There is a resolution to this story but again it is only a speculation as to what occurred. This film does not claim to be based in truth nor are any of its facts attributed to real life events or characters.

The story as pieced together is believable. This is due to the mysterious performance of Glau as Lindsey. She is center stage throughout the film and is the one who holds the audience's interest. Carmack on the other hand never gives us much of a view of Trevor at all. Of course he is only seen in bits and pieces of scenes so a full characterization was probably impossible.

What will draw people to this movie is its close resemblance to the actual case that involved the disappearance of George Smith. He disappeared while on his honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean. His wife Jennifer could offer no explanation of how he disappeared and she was never charged with a crime.

The makers of "Deadly Honeymoon" took these facts and used them as a frame for the movie that is now being offered. Whether or not it is actually close to the truth will never be known.

'Deadly Honeymoon" premieres on the Lifetime Movie Network on Sunday, April 25 at 8PM EST and 5PM PT.

Jackie K. Cooper www.jackiekcooper.com

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Tale of a man's disappearance at sea, local journalist delves into mysterious disappearance of glenville resident george smith iv..

Barbara Heins , Patch Staff

Man Overboard, subtitled Inside the Honeymoon Cruise Murder, by Joan Lownds, is the tragic story of two local newlyweds whose wedding trip was a cruise into the eastern Mediterranean.

Many will recall at least the broad outlines of the story. A handsome young Greenwich High alumnus and football player George Smith IV, grew up in Glenville as a real home-town boy. George I had pitched for the Dodgers around 1917 and returned to teach math at Greenwich High. George II was a local dentist noted for giving care to people who couldn’t afford it. George III and his English-born wife Maureen owned Cos Cob Liquor Store on the Post Road, which George IV – who had a business degree from Babson – expected some day to run because he liked people and desk work as a computer guy bored him.

To be sure, Ms. Lownds feels the necessity to include the usual huff and puff about our town, “a privileged enclave on Fairfield County’s gold coast,” whose eponymous “Avenue gleams with tony stores” where women shop “dressed in fur coats.” So when George IV met beautiful Jennifer Hagel, a cop’s daughter who lived near the Berlin Turnpike, he “tried to bridge the gap between his wealthy, sheltered Greenwich world and blue collar Cromwell.” A kid from Glenville who aspired to manage a small liquor store from a “wealthy, sheltered … world” seems a bit of a gee-whiz stretch to me.

Find out what's happening in Greenwich with free, real-time updates from Patch.

Anyhow, romance blossomed. In 2005, they married in Newport, RI at the hotel where they met, and headed off for a romantic dream cruise aboard the Bahamian-registered Brilliance of the Seas, one of those typical huge, in my opinion ugly, purpose-built cruise vessels. Ugly or not, it belonged to Royal Caribbean. So far, so ordinary. But on the night of July 4-5, the handsome, 26-year-old George IV disappeared.

It seems to have been a rough cruise in various respects, though not nearly as rough as the night George IV vanished. It appeared that the newlyweds had fallen in with a rough crowd on the ship, four Russians from Los Angeles. The snapshots show George and Jennifer rather less cuddly as the voyage progressed, and the night he disappeared, the couple and their noisy pals were gambling and drinking heavily. Jennifer was apparently flirty with some other guys, and when hubby remonstrated, there are reports (denied by her) that she kneed him in the groin. A little after 4 AM the passenger in the next cabin, the Deputy Chief of Police of Redlands, CA, heard a loud ruction among three or four males, followed by sounds of moving furniture and a big thud. It is fairly reliably reported that the crew found Jennifer drunken almost to the point of insensibility lying in a corridor, and brought her back to her empty room in a wheelchair. But no George IV, then or when she woke up and showed up for a 10 am massage appointment around 8:30.

There was blood in the room, blood outside the cabin door, and blood on the rail. The ship docked in the Turkish port of Kusadasi. Most of the passengers headed for a tour of Ephesus, and the Turkish cops, besides hinting that Jennifer might have shoved her husband overboard, made a desultory and incompetent investigation of an incident they rightly concluded had little to do with Turkey.  At this point peoples’ stories diverge. Jennifer claimed she was dumped ashore with some chintzy Carnival Cruise Line clothes and abandoned. The line said they were nice to her. Jennifer said she asked to call the Smiths back in Glenville but was refused. The line denied this too.

Ms. Lownds did her homework on the sorry tale of what happens when a corporation goes into full “risk management mode,” which can even involve a vigorous counter-attack; in another case which came to light thanks to the Smiths refusal to be fobbed off, the parents of a 12-year-old girl raped on a “Carnival” ship, were told that “if we didn’t settle they would send a team of attorneys to our small California town, secure a yearbook from the high school, and start interviewing each student in the hope of digging up any dirt on Jamie.”  (As some great philosopher once said, it’s 99% of the lawyers who give the other 1% a bad name!)  The Smiths’ campaign for transparency and accountability brought forth other cases of rapes and disappearances fobbed off as ‘suicides’ on scant evidence.

Space does not permit a full review of the back and forth, the schism between Jennifer, who is in some places portrayed as a pretty cold cookie, and the Smiths whom Ms. Lounds clearly admires. She also admires former US Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT) for taking on the cruise lines, which by clever foreign incorporation and registering ships in jurisdictions where regulation is a joke, generally contrived to avoid serious investigations of mishaps.

It’s an interesting story, especially for people in Greenwich since it involves a hometown victim.

Editor's note: This story was amended on Oct. 24 to reflect the correct ownership of the cruise ship.

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George Allen Smith IV

Royal Caribbean Honeymoon Tragedy

On July 5, 2005, my husband, George A. Smith IV, tragically went overboard during our honeymoon cruise aboard the Royal Caribbean ship, Brilliance of the Seas.

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Widow Says Husband Who Disappeared on Cruise Mixed Alcohol, Prescription Drugs

NEW HAVEN, Conn – The widow of a Connecticut man who disappeared during their honeymoon cruise said Friday that her husband had mixed prescription drugs with alcohol the night he vanished three years ago on the Mediterranean Sea.

The widow, Jennifer Hagel Smith, said her husband's family has refused to acknowledge the possibility that George Smith's intoxication from alcohol and prescription drugs may have been a factor in an accidental death. Instead, she said they have insisted Smith was a victim of foul play despite a lack of evidence.

"In the three years since George's disappearance, the Smiths or their representatives have described a crime scene in the cabin on the ship that simply didn't exist," said Richard Sheeley, Hagel Smith's attorney.

"They have published reports of blood evidence that the families now know is baseless," he said, "and they have conjured up a conspiracy that never existed between the cruise line, investigators and, eventually, even the young woman they once welcomed into their family as a daughter."

The conspiracy, Sheeley said, was that the Royal Caribbean cruise line was withholding information from the Smith family.

Smith, of Greenwich, was taking the antidepressant Zoloft and Clonazepam, which treats anxiety and panic disorders, Sheeley said. A doctor had advised him not to drink alcohol while taking the drugs, he said.

Hagel Smith is not saying the prescription drugs and alcohol caused her husband's death, Sheeley said.

"But it could have contributed to an accident that caused his death," he said.

The claim that George Smith used alcohol and prescription drugs the night he disappeared came in a new legal filing Friday in Stamford Superior Court.

Hagel Smith filed a response to an appeal by Smith's relatives, who are challenging a nearly $1.1 million settlement she reached with Royal Caribbean. The deal was approved by a probate court.

Michael Jones, a lawyer for Smith's family, said Sheeley's comments were not accurate, but declined to elaborate. He said Smith's family continues to believe he was a victim of foul play.

Hagel Smith did not want to disclose her husband's use of prescription drugs, but was forced to do so because of his family's "relentless" litigation, Sheeley said.

Hagel Smith has received numerous documents, including cabin access records and statements made to investigators, Sheeley said.

"There's no evidence we can see of murder," Sheeley said.

He said that there was only a "spec" of blood found in the cabin, and that what was originally believed to be blood on a towel turned out to be makeup.

George Smith was on a honeymoon cruise aboard a Royal Caribbean ship in July 2005 when he vanished somewhere between Greece and Turkey. His body has never been found.

The FBI has investigated Smith's disappearance, but no one has been charged.

In the appeal, Smith's parents and sister said his widow agreed to an inadequate settlement with the cruise ship line to avoid embarrassing disclosures about her conduct.

His disappearance followed a night of heavy drinking. The cruise line said his wife was found passed out on a floor far from their cabin.

Smith's attorney has cited reports of Hagel Smith's drinking and that she argued with her husband the night he disappeared, kicked him in the groin and left the ship's bar. Hagel Smith has called those accounts "ridiculous" and "outlandish."

Hagel Smith's other lawyer, Elizabeth Byrne, said any embarrassing behavior that may have occurred had already been reported and was not a motivation to settle. She said the probate ruling showed the settlement was reasonable and that her client acted in good faith.

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The new life, marriage and two children of the honeymoon widow ten years after her husband mysteriously died on a cruise DAYS after their wedding

• George Smith died on July 5, 2005 under mysterious circumstances on the Royal Caribbean ship Brilliance of the Seas off the coast of Turkey
• He had got married just days earlier to Jennifer Hagel in a lavish ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island
• Hagel was not with him when he died as she had allegedly passed out drunk in a hallway of the ship
• After his death, Hagel reached a $1.1million settlement with the cruise-ship company and said her husband's death may have been an accident
• In 2007 she began working at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in New York City as the major gifts officer
• In 2009 she married financial analyst Jeff Agne, and the couple have two daughters, born in 2010 and 2013
• She is estranged from her first husband's family, who believe she knows more about their son's death than she has told authorities
• The FBI dropped its criminal investigation this year into Smith's death

By Chris Spargo For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:51 EDT, 24 August 2015 | Updated: 11:34 EDT, 7 December 2016

View comments

The tragic death of George Smith IV on his honeymoon cruise was the focus of nonstop media attention during the summer of 2005 -and led many to wonder how the smart and attractive newlywed ended up overboard in the waters of the Mediterranean.

It has been ten years since the tragedy, and while his family maintain he was murdered and continue their quest for answers, his then-bride has moved on with her life.

Jennifer Hagel-Smith is now Jennifer Agne after getting remarried in 2009 and having two children with her new husband.

She is also wealthier - after receiving a $1.1million settlement in 2007 from the cruise-ship company Royal Caribbean.

This settlement led to her estrangement from her first husband's family, who have repeatedly criticized her not only for accepting what they believed to be far too little money but also for publicly saying that perhaps George had accidentally fallen overboard.

He vanished sometime after 4am on July 5, 2005 just off the coast of Turkey.  

Scroll down for video 

Wedding day: Jennifer married George Smith in Newport Rhode Island in June 2005 (above)

George was just 26 when he died during a cruise on the Royal Caribbean ship Brilliance of the Seas.

He and Jennifer had married in late June in what his sister Bree called a 'storybook ceremony' at the Inn at Castle Hill in Newport, Rhode Island.

George was helping to run his family's liquor store in Cos Cob, Connecticut, while Jennifer, then 25, was about to begin a job as a third-grade teacher, having recently received a Masters in Education from Roger Williams University.

That was not to be however, after George's mysterious death.

Jennifer agreed to a settlement with Royal Caribbean in 2007 and said in a statement that her husband could have possibly fallen off the ship - perhaps while drunk and smoking a cigar while trying to balance on the balcony of their stateroom.

That year she also began working at the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in New York City as the major gifts officer, before moving to Fairfield, Connecticut according to an interview she gave to  Fairfield Living . 

In that interview she was promoting her work with Near & Far Aid , a non-profit organization that works to provide affordable housing and eliminate poverty. 

When asked about the best accessory a woman can have, she said; 'Perhaps the best accessory we all can wear is our smile and gratitude. It’s free and looks great on everyone.' 

She also chaired the annual Designer House Tour to benefit the group earlier this year.

Support: Jennifer with (l-r) brother Johnny, a friend, husband Jeff, brother-in-law, sister Jessica and parents Deborah and John

In October of 2009 Jennifer married financial adviser Jeff Agne - who works in Global Healthcare Equities for PineBridge Investments according to his LinkedIn account. The couple now have two daughters, born in 2010 and 2013 .

The wedding took place at a church in Manchester, Vermont according to an almuni newsletter  from Jeff's alma mater University of Vermont.

'They are living in New York City and expecting to have a baby soon - who will probably be the greatest athlete known to man,' says the newsletter.

Jeff moved to New York City after college to attend the Stern School of Business at New York University, where he received a Master of Business Administration. 

'We couldn't be happier,' Jennifer's father John Hagel said shortly before his daughter's nuptials in an interview with  Greenwich Time . 

'We're just thrilled she's been able to move on with her life and start a new life with Jeff. We couldn't be prouder for both of them.'

The announcement came at the same time the Smith family was challenging the settlement that Jennifer received from Royal Caribbean - alleging that it was reached in haste in an attempt to hide embarrassing details about Jennifer's behavior on the ship.

The Smiths also believe they should have received $2.4million.

They lost that challenge and reached their own settlement with the company in 2011, which also required Royal Caribbean to turn over documents and interviews.

When asked at the time about their former daughter-in-law's second wedding, the Smith family declined to comment on advice from their lawyer. 

Agne and her family still live in Connecticut, close to her parents. She did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 

The FBI dropped its criminal investigation this year into Smith's death.

MYSTERIOUS DEATH

The Smiths left on their cruise from Barcelona just days after their wedding, and the pair quickly made friends on the ship, including fellow honeymooners Paul and Galina Kvitnisky.

'They were really great ... they were just normal down to earth, happy people,' Galina said in an interview with 48 Hours in 2014.

The couple also joined George and Jennifer when they went to the casino on the ship in the early hours of July 5.

This was just before George's disappearance, and his sister believes that his actions at the casino could have had something to do with his death.

'I think George looked prosperous,' said Bree. 'Additionally, he had a really nice watch ... which was a Breitling watch, was worth a bit of money.

'People may have made assumptions that George was a millionaire, even though he wasn't.'

A fellow passenger, who was in a room close to the newlyweds, told DailyMail.com that the two were very social and could be heard drinking and partying during the first few days on the ship.

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Honeymoon: George and Jennifer are seen aboard the Royal Caribbean ship Brilliance of the Sea

Mystery: The last image of George taken before his death as he left the ship's casino

Fight: The couple reportedly left the casino separately following a fight (Jennifer above)

It was at the casino that George met up with 20-year-old Josh Askin, a new friend he was teaching to play craps.

Also in the casino were cousins Zachary and Greg Rozenberg and their friend Rusty Kofman. 

Those four men were likely the last to see George alive. 

According to an interview Askin and his attorney gave to Vanity Fair , an employee at the casino was getting a little too close to Jennifer as the night went on.

Lloyd Botah worked as a croupier on the ship, and Jennifer appeared to be a bit too 'cozy' with him, Askin said.

'He (Botah) was definitely stepping over professional boundaries,' said Askin's attorney C. Keith Greer.

'It was awkward, but I don’t know that George noticed it at the time.'

When the casino closed at 2:30am, George and the four men went to the discotheque, where they were joined at a table by Jennifer and Botah.

Multiple eyewitnesses claim the group was drinking Absinthe that had been smuggled on board, and that at some point the newlyweds fought before Jennifer kicked George in the genitals and stormed out of the club.

Askin claimed that Botah followed Jennifer.

Jennifer was to become a teacher upon her return while George worked at his family's liquor store

Jennifer and George pose in Greece on July 4, the day before his mysterious death

When the five men left, George was too drunk to walk without some help according to Askin and Kofman, so they accompanied him back to his stateroom.

Jennifer, however, was not there, so George decided to search the ship before giving up and returning back to his room. 

Shortly after returning to his room, his neighbor, Clete Hyman, called to report the group for making loud noise.

This was a complaint he had made on another night during the trip, and he said it simply sounded like people playing a drinking game. 

Askin said that he, Kofman and the Rozenbergs were with George at this time but the four left the room together.

Hyman meanwhile said he saw three men leaving the room when he looked out into the hallway from his peephole. 

'You could definitely hear a voice ushering people out of the room,' he said. 

'"Good night," "Good night," "Good night," repeatedly. I hear the door close. And then I waited a little bit, ten seconds or so, and I looked out my door. And that’s when I saw the male subjects. Three male subjects.'

Hyman has never revealed the identity of the three men he saw, or if he was even able to see who exactly was in the hallway.

The deputy police chief from California said in 2006 that he did not want to say too much during an open investigation. 

He heard a 'horrific thud' shortly after seeing the three men in the hall.

'My first thought was that someone fell on the balcony - not off,' he said.

As for Jennifer, she returned to the room a little before 5am with members of the crew, who had found her passed out and asleep in a hallway.

The room was empty, and a few hours later she left for an appointment at the spa despite the fact she could not locate her husband. 

She said she thought he may be sleeping in another room, which had happened previously on the trip. 

Shortly into her massage she was paged over the ship's intercom.

Early that morning a passenger had found blood on a lifeboat canopy, and officials wanted to make sure the Smiths were not hurt. 

This was when they realized that George had gone overboard.  

At the same time, Askin also reached to out to staff on the ship to say that he had been drinking with George the night before and that perhaps he was still sleeping.

Jennifer and Askin were then told what had likely happened, and led off the ship to be questioned by Turkish police. 

It was later alleged that the blood stain was in the shape of his body. 

Jennifer got off the ship in Turkey after her husband went missing and then flew back to the U.S. 

The couple headed off on their honeymoon almost immediately after their wedding ceremony (pictured)

A look at the massive Brilliance of the Seas, one of the biggest boats in the world at the time

Jennifer had an alibi, while Askin said he and the three other men left George and went back to one of their rooms and ordered room service.

While calls were made to room service by the men, there is no record of any food being delivered by employees on the ship. 

Askin boarded the ship after being questioned, while Jennifer stayed in Turkey and flew back home the next day.

The Smith family has criticized this move on their Facebook page, asking why she did not stay behind and try to look for her new husband - and instead 'hopped the first plane back to the United States after her release from Turkish police custody'.

In that same post they also said: 'Due in part to Jennifer Hagel Agne's selective amnesia, we still do not know who murdered George, and justice has eluded us.'

The other three men were not questioned by Turkish police but were kicked off the cruise ship just days later after a 20-year-old woman came forward and claimed she had been raped by Kofman and the Rozenberg cousins.

Askin was also present for part of the alleged assault, which had been filmed with Kofman's camera.

The families were all asked to leave the ship at that point.

The rape charge was dropped by an Italian magistrate after they reviewed the tape, and the families returned home.

The Smith family, on the other hand, had made their way to Europe, where they passed out flyers and searched for George.

They also criticized Royal Caribbean for not keeping them abreast of what they had uncovered in their investigation, 

Meanwhile, Jennifer lashed out over the way she was treated following her husband's death. 

The family and young widow seemed to be getting along during this difficult time, and both stated publicly that they knew George had been murdered. 

No one has ever been charged with George's death and his body has never been recovered. 

Clues: The mysterious blood stain found outside below George's room was believed to be a print of his body

Jennifer has said George may have drunkenly fallen off the balcony of their room (pictured)

Devoted: George's parents (above) have continued their search for clues in their son's death

The Smith family claimed that Jennifer seemed bothered a few months after Smith's disappearance, when she saw they were wearing pins showing George in a picture he had taken with the actress Tara Reid the day before his death - despite the fact Reid had been cropped out of the photo.

'In December 2005, our family attended a Congressional hearing on cruise crime in Washington, D.C,' wrote Bree on Facebook.

'We wore pins with photos of George's face that had been cropped from the attached photo of George with actress Tara Reid. 

'Upon seeing us at the onset of the hearing, Jennifer appeared to be transfixed with the image on our pins. She asked us, "Is this from the photo George took with Tara Reid?"

'Hundreds of photos were taken from their honeymoon onboard Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas yet Jennifer distinctly remembered that image of George's face had been taken from George's photo with Tara Reid.'

On that same page they also posted a letter from Jennifer's attorney that had been sent to Royal Caribbean.

'On February 4, 2006, Miami maritime attorney James Walker, the lawyer for Jennifer Hagel (now Agne), sent a letter to Royal Caribbean lawyer Robert Peltz asking if Royal Caribbean knew of or had a copy of a video-tape showing men other than George having sex with George's newlywed wife Jennifer,' wrote Bree. 

The Smith family continues to investigate, and has requested all of the FBI's files now that they are through with their investigation. 

'We're definitely not giving up,' his sister Bree said in a 2013 interview. 

Share or comment on this article: Honeymoon widow Hagel Smith whose husband died on cruise 10 years ago's new life

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Cruise Widow: FBI Said Foul Play Possible

By leanne gendreau • published june 8, 2009 • updated on june 9, 2009 at 8:57 am.

The family of a Greenwich newlywed who disappeared from his honeymoon cruise in 2005 says federal authorities believed he was the victim of foul play, according to thousands of pages of court records released Monday.

But the man's widow disagrees. The FBI told her there is a 50 percent chance he was the victim of foul play, she said.

George Allen Smith IV of Greenwich was celebrating his marriage with a cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship when he vanished somewhere between Greece and Turkey. His body never has been found.

The FBI has investigated Smith's disappearance, but no one has been charged. The Associated Press left a telephone message for the FBI, but the agency usually does not comment on ongoing investigations.

Attorneys for Smith's family asked his widow about a meeting with the FBI that included prosecutor Peter Jongbloed.

"Do you recall Mr. Jongbloed actually interjecting and looking right at you and saying, 'Jennifer, we also believe there was foul play,' meaning the Department of Justice and the FBI," an attorney for Smith's family asked.

Smith’s widow, Jennifer Hagel Smith, of Cromwell, disagreed.

After some back and forth, she eventually said an FBI agent told her he didn't rule out foul play or an accident.

"But the fact of the matter is, in his mind that it was 50-50," Hagel Smith said.

Federal authorities told her they didn't have enough information to indict anyone and they were near the end of their investigation, she said.

George Smith's family is challenging a nearly $1.1 million settlement Hagel Smith reached with Royal Caribbean. The deal was approved by a probate court, but Smith's family appealed to Stamford Superior Court.

Records from the probate hearing were released Monday.

Smith's disappearance followed a night of heavy drinking. The cruise line said his wife was found passed out on a floor far from their cabin.

Hagel Smith has said her husband's family refuses to acknowledge the possibility that George Smith's intoxication from alcohol and prescription drugs may have been a factor in an accidental death. Instead, she said they have insisted Smith was a victim of foul play despite a lack of evidence.

Smith was taking the antidepressant Zoloft and Clonazepam, which treats anxiety and panic disorders, according to Hagel Smith's attorney.

Smith's attorney says there was no evidence he took prescription drugs. They also say they did not receive witness statements or documents from Royal Caribbean.

In the appeal, Smith's parents and sister said his widow agreed to an inadequate settlement with the cruise ship line to avoid embarrassing disclosures about her conduct.  

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'hawk tuah' girl does not have deal with united talent agency, 'hawk tuah' girl spitting way to fame but no deal with uta.

• Exclusive Details

There's no doubt the viral "Hawk Tuah" girl's slid her way into social media fame, but she's not going Hollywood just yet ... TMZ has learned stories about her getting a talent agency deal are, shall we say, overblown.

The story that made the rounds early Wednesday was that Hailey Welch -- better known by the moniker derived from her iconic street interview -- had reportedly signed with United Talent Agency, but sources with direct knowledge tell us ... there's no such deal.

UTA, which reps everyone from Timothée Chalamet and Kevin Hart to Bad Bunny and Anderson Cooper , has NOT made the leap into repping viral oral sex coaches ... according to our source.

As for how the false story got out there ... Hailey has been the most talked about "celeb" of the week thanks to her NSFW sound bite blowing up the way it has.

While she's not in with Hollywood, at this point, she does have a merch deal with the Tennessee-based hat company Fathead Threads. They're selling shirts, hats and other merch with her phrase of the summer front and center.

Hawk Tuah - The original interview that started it all pic.twitter.com/QiDfnmXjye — The Postman (@officalpostman) June 22, 2024 @officalpostman

In case you've been living under a rock ... Hailey went viral last week after her on-the-street interview hit the internet where she very graphically recommended a special bedroom move -- involving saliva -- for ladies looking to drive their men wild.

Even if you didn't know her, you've definitely seen the phrase "hawk tuah," if you've been on any social media platform.

Howard Stern summed it up best ... by saying it seems every other video he sees on Instagram's related to "Hawk Tuah" -- before lamenting how her dad must feel now .

Don't be surprised if she does get an agent in the near future -- that's just showbiz -- but it's definitely not UTA that's repping her.

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People point out the key difference as Tom Cruise and Will Smith both pose on top of Burj Khalifa

Both movie stars managed to get all the way to the top of the tallest building in the world.

Kit Roberts

When Tom Cruise and Will Smith each had their pictures taken on top of the tallest building in the world, people quickly noticed one key difference between the two Hollywood stars.

The Burj Khalifa, literally 'Khalifa Tower' in Arabic, is in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and holds the record for the tallest building in the world.

Named after former UAE president Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, it towers some 829.8 metres above the city of Dubai.

Both Tom Cruise and Will Smith managed to get all the way to the top of the immense structure. And we're not just talking the top floor here either, they went to the top of the spire.

The highest elevator access in the building goes to the 160th floor, with floors 155 and above being reserved for maintenance telecoms companies.

There are offices up to floor 154 and the general public can visit up to floor 148.

Visitors are only allowed above that with special permission, for example, if you're a multi-millionaire celebrity like Cruise or Smith.

And people noticed one key difference between the two stars' photos up there.

Sitting on a small spire more than 800 metres above the ground would be a nerve-wracking experience for most people.

And here 'most people' definitely includes Smith, whose smile for his photo looks more like a grimace.

The Men in Black star climbed the tower as part of a video on fitness and weight loss. At the top, he appears to be trying to maintain his composure while gripping onto two boxes either side of him.

For Cruise however, it's a very, very different story.

The Mission Impossible star - who's credited for doing his own wild stunts in his films - climbed the tower for a stunt in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

The photo shows him perched on top of the boxes wearing a casual outfit, and barefoot.

Not only that, but he was leaning over to one side as though he was casually chilling on the beach.

While he doesn't appear to be wearing a harness, fact check websites have suggested that he almost certainly is.

People took to social media to share their thoughts on the comparison, with one writing: "One is sitting in bare feet and a t-shirt looking as relaxed as possible and the other is draped in harnesses, clinging on for dear life, looking like he's making peace with God."

A second posted: "I love how Will is all strapped up and hanging on for dear life, but Tom is not only just sitting there, nary a rope in sight, but he’s LEANING."

And a third commented: "Tom looks like he is posted on his front stoop just vibing and Will is the living embodiment of terror.

"That’s not a smile that’s a death grin. He’s got 63 harnesses tied to him. Legend says he’s still holding those boxes."

Topics:  News , Celebrity , World News , Tom Cruise , Will Smith

Kit joined UNILAD in 2023 as a community journalist. They have previously worked for StokeonTrentLive, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Star.

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Watch CBS News

Murder at Sea?

By Richard Schlesinger

July 5, 2014 / 11:01 PM EDT / CBS News

Produced by Lourdes Aguiar and Peter Shaw

On July 5, 2005, George Smith disappeared from his honeymoon cruise.

This week, his family announced a $100,000 reward for information leading "to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible."

In the beginning, suspicion surrounded George's new widow. But the FBI soon turned its focus to a group of young men -- the last to see George alive.

A "48 Hours investigation has uncovered failed polygraphs, questionable alibis and a provocative video made by some of the men just hours after George Smith disappeared.

"You know, sometimes you still think, 'Ah, he might still be out there,' cuz we don't have a body. We don't have a body," Maureen Smith told "48 Hours". "It doesn't get any easier. And you know what? If we had our answers for George and know what happened, maybe. We don't know."

For nine years, Maureen and George Smith have been tormented. They don't know what happened to their 26-year-old son aboard that cruise ship.

"We just have to keep pushing the buttons. And we won't let it go. It's our son," said Maureen.

It wasn't supposed to be this way. George Smith IV had seemed destined to have it all.

Maureen Smith described her son as a "Fine young man. Handsome ... Hard working. He was just an all-around great kid."

"He was the funniest guy, you know?" George Smith III said with a laugh. "I would sit and have a couple of beers with him and he'd make me laugh for the whole night. And besides he was so good looking the girls just fell all over him. He was a just a lot of fun. He was a great guy [voice catches]."

George was about to take over his father's liquor store in Greenwich, Conn.

"George made the store. He was much more of a lively guy than I and loved to talk," George said of his son. "He had that gusto in him and he really wanted to take the store and build it."

"He always called me the old man because I wasn't into modern tools and techniques [laughs] like he was. So I was the old man."

"I was the dinosaur that he had to deal with," George said laughing.

George's future seemed even brighter when he met Jennifer Hagel, an aspiring schoolteacher.

"I was overwhelmed with her because she had this dynamic personality," Maureen explained. "She was very fun-loving like him. Very attractive. ... And he was really happy with her."

After a three-year courtship, George and Jennifer were married in a ceremony overlooking the sea.

"It was a really lavish affair in Newport, Rhode Island," George's older sister, Bree Smith said. "It was a storybook wedding. It was absolutely beautiful."

Bree remembers the day very well and how excited they were to go on their honeymoon.

"They were so excited to be starting their life together," she said.

"And they couldn't wait to start their cruise."

"I can remember shaking his hand in the street and saying goodbye to him," said George's father.

"Who would have thought that less than two weeks later, George would be missing," said Bree.

In late June 2005, Royal Caribbean's "Brilliance of the Seas" set sail from Barcelona. Aboard with the Smiths were fellow honeymooners Paul and Galina Kvitnisky.

"We sat down next to one another and ... since the first day, we became acquainted," said Paul Kvitnisky.

The couples hit it off immediately.

"They were really great ... they were just normal down to earth, happy people," said Galina Kvitnisky.

"I would say we spent a lot of time together ..." said Paul.

"They loved the sites. I remember they were talking a lot of pictures. Like, everywhere they went they were, like, always with the camera," Galina recalled.

And back on the ship, they socialized into the early morning hours.

"I think he enjoyed himself a lot, you know -- having a drink or two," said Paul.

"He didn't have a good tolerance for alcohol. He would have like four beers ... and you could see that he was pretty much drunk," Galina added.

Around midnight on July 5, 2005, the two couples headed for the casino. It would be the last night of George's life.

Jennifer, who can be seen on casino security cameras, spent much of her time at the blackjack table. George, also captured on tape, headed for his usual spot at the craps table.

"And he was just having fun at the table. You could see that right away," said Paul.

George was soon joined at the table by another shipboard acquaintance -- California college student Josh Askin. "48 Hours" spoke to Askin in 2006.

"Hung out with them a little bit, nothing too in depth. ... Jennifer played a little blackjack. I played a little craps with George," Askin said. "There were a lot of other people around as well, who'd been on the cruise so far."

Also making the rounds that night were a group of Russian-American students -- cousins Zachary and Greg Rozenberg, and a friend, Rusty Kofman. Askin had met them on the cruise as well.

"Everyone who was 18 pretty much congregated in the casino," Askin explained. "Everyone was in high spirits."

And George and Jennifer were high rolling. At one point, George, who can be seen at the casino with Askin, went back to his own cabin to fetch extra cash for Jennifer.

"I think George looked prosperous," Bree commented. "Additionally, he had a really nice watch ... which was a Breitling watch, was worth a bit of money."

And Bree wonders if someone on the ship was getting the wrong idea about her brother.

"People may have made assumptions that George was a millionaire, even though he wasn't," she said.

The one thing that was clear to Paul Kvitnisky that night, was that by the time the casino closed, both Jennifer and George were already drunk.

"And I just remember telling him, 'It's time to call it a night,'" he said.

Paul wishes his new friend had listened. Two hours later, George Smith would be gone.

A STARTLING DISCOVERY

As the sun rose over Kusadasi, Turkey, on July 5, 2005, 16-year-old Emilie Rausch stepped onto her balcony to snap some photos.

"It was around 7:30 in the morning ... and I noticed something on the overhang of the lifeboats..." she said.

Instead of a spectacular sunrise, Rausch's camera captured a huge bloodstain on the lifeboat canopy.

"I just assumed someone had died there," Rausch said at the time.

Security quickly determined the occupants of room 9062 were unaccounted for and snapped pictures of the room. Then they began paging the Smiths.

"I had a stateroom attendant outside my room and I said, 'You know, you should probably go into that guy's room and wake him up, because he's not gonna hear that page,'" Askin said. "'Because he was probably still sleeping.'"

In another cabin, Paul and Galina Kvitnisky were startled by a visit from ship personnel.

"And that's when the guy came in, and he said, 'Have you seen George?' And I'm like, 'What do you mean have I seen George?'" said Paul.

"And we said, 'What's going on?' And he kinda told us he's missing. We were like, 'Missing!?'" said Galina.

By now, they had been summoned to Guest Relations; Jennifer was also there. She had been located at the ship's spa getting a scheduled massage. The crew soon delivered the crushing news: George was presumed overboard.

"She just kept saying that she doesn't remember what happened," Galina said. "'I can't remember. I can't understand. I don't remember.'"

Jennifer said she had almost no memory after leaving the casino.

Jennifer said she had almost no memory after leaving the casino and that when she had awakened in the cabin, George wasn't there. She had just assumed George had stayed with Paul and Galina.

"She's shocked and panicked and she doesn't understand what's going on," Galina explained. "She just kept sayin' that, 'I wanna call my dad. I wanna call my dad.'"

Half a world away in Connecticut, the Smiths were trying to absorb the shock from the call from Jennifer's dad.

"It's disbelief," said Maureen Smith.

"You know, we just couldn't believe it," said her husband, George. "He's gotta be on the boat."

But the Smiths had not yet been told about that bloodstain or the investigation now under way on the Brilliance of the Seas. Turkish police had boarded the ship; Royal Caribbean documented the forensic investigation.

And in the ship's lobby, they rounded up Josh Askin and the group of Russian-Americans -- Rusty Kofman and Zach and Greg Rozenberg. They had all partied with George the night before.

"I mean, I just didn't know what was going on. I knew I did nothing wrong and that's all that mattered to me," said Askin.

Video secretly recorded by Askin's father shows the police interview. Rusty Kofman appears to be shocked when he hears about the blood:

Rusty Kofman [Turkish police interview]: Blood? [Puts his hand to his mouth] No! That's crazy.

The video only captures snippets of what has emerged over the years as a very complex story -- a story and a timeline that would be dissected and debated for years. The men's story has never changed. As a group they tell Turkish police, "After we dropped him off, the second time, we closed the door, we never saw him again ... Never saw him again."

The young men's account begins at 2:30 a.m., after the casino closed. It was on an elevator to the disco when Askin says he noticed some odd behavior from casino manager Lloyd Botha.

"There was maybe a time when Lloyd, the casino manager put his arm around Jennifer and we thought a little awkward moment. It was just a little awkward for a second," said Askin.

At the disco, the party was in full swing and the guys smuggled in a bottle of potent liquor called absinthe.

"They were having shots of absinthe. They were having shots," said Albert Dayan, an attorney who represents Rusty Kofman.

"48 Hours" spoke to Dayan in 2006. He says there was tension between George and Jennifer at the disco.

"Rusty does not hear what is being said but he does observe Jennifer kick George in his groin," he explained.

Jennifer storms out of the disco and, according to Zach Rozenberg, Rusty Kofman and Josh Askin, the casino manager followed after her. Askin would emphatically make this point when questioned by Turkish police later:

Josh Askin [Turkish police interview] : She has no idea what happened! She was with another man ... The casino manager Lloyd. You need to get him in here.

The men claim they didn't know where Lloyd and Jennifer went, but by 3:30 a.m., the disco was closing and George was in bad shape.

"George was kind of slumped over in a chair ... I asked my buddies, ' Will you help me take him home real quick?'" Askin told "48 Hours."

"When they're walking to his cabin ... they are literally carrying George," said Dayan.

At 3:52 a.m., the guys enter the Smith cabin. The ship's key entry log records the time, but Jennifer is not there.

Turkish official on interview video : Did you see her? Guys : No ... she wasn't in the room. She wasn't in the room.

"George all of a sudden expresses a wish to go search for his wife ... at this time the boys are having a loud discussion, debate about whether they should assist George," Dayan explained.

The group heads out again and, after a brief search of the ship's solarium, they return George to his cabin at 4:01 a.m.

"I went to the restroom right when I went in ... I probably saw him for like a minute ... 30 seconds," said Askin.

"And they actually lay - George -- on his bed. Take off his shoes ... and he displays a tremendous gratitude towards these young men. In fact he hugs and kisses one or two of these young men," said Dayan.

As a group, the men told Turkish police, "And that was the end of it. ... We were all together ... But just remember not at one point or at no time did he ever seem angry or anything at all."

But shortly after 4:00 a.m, passenger Clete Hyman, a vacationing deputy police chief, hears a disturbance next door.

"My wife and I were awakened by yelling coming from the Smith cabin. This yelling sounded what I would liken to a drinking game," he said.

A few minutes later ...

"Suddenly though, there was an argument out on the Smith balcony. This argument appeared to be between three, maybe four individuals," said Hyman.

But Rusty Kofman's lawyer insists that the men never went out on the balcony.

"After about two minutes of the argument, we heard one lone male voice repeatedly saying, 'Goodnight, goodnight' ... like they were ushering someone out of the room," Hyman continued. "I looked out and saw three male individuals walking away from the room."

Three males walking away? Then where was the fourth man? Dayan insists all four men left together.

"Rusty is a pretty wide -- type of a -- a young man," Dayan pointed out. "I believe that the -- witness just failed to observe the fourth one."

What Clete Hyman hears next would become the subject of endless speculation: was George alone in the room?

"At this point we heard just one lone voice in the room. We heard what sounded like the cupboard doors being closed loudly. And also sounded like furniture being moved," he said.

Greg and Pat Lawyer, in the cabin on the other side of the Smiths, hear something similar.

"There was what I call trashing of the room sounds," Greg Lawyer explained. "I thought somebody was throwing furniture around...either mad or having a good time so we dismissed it at that point."

"...after about two minutes of total silence, however, there was a large, what I would call a horrific thud," said Hyman.

That thud is believed to be the sound of George Smith hitting the metal canopy around 4:30 a.m. About that same time, Jennifer is found passed out in a hallway. As for the men, they say they were all back in their cabin ordering a lion's share of room service.

"Oh, they were definitely in their own cabin. In Zach's and -- Rusty's cabin ordering food at that time," said Dayan.

But as it would turn out, the young men's alibi would be called into question.

ACCIDENT OR FOUL PLAY?

As the details surrounding George Smith's disappearance emerged, so had speculation about his bride, Jennifer.

The widow went on "Oprah" to defend herself:

"Not only to lose your memory but to have nobody believe you," Jennifer Hagel Smith told Oprah Winfrey. "I don't know what happened."

Jennifer wasn't the only one in the spotlight. There were questions in the national media about the young men and about George's disappearance - was it an accident or was George pushed overboard?

The FBI would begin an investigation that would span 9 years and remains open to this day. At the time, the ship's captain described it as a likely accident -- theorizing that an intoxicated George sat on the railing and simply fell off.

"I think that's outrageous. I think that's disgusting," said Bree Smith.

The Smiths never bought the accident theory.

"The blood is compelling evidence," Bree said. "There was blood in the room."

Photographs taken by Royal Caribbean inside the Smith cabin revealed two small lines of blood on the bed sheets. The Smiths say it was George's blood and another sign pointing to foul play.

"In addition to the blood, there were sounds of -- a fight, a struggle inside my brother's room," said Bree Smith.

The Smiths hoped that getting access to Royal Caribbean's investigative case files would provide some answers and brought in attorney Mike Jones to help them.

"What it's not about is an accident, and what it's not about is a suicide," Jones told "48 Hours". "It's about a murder."

Jones immediately got to work, setting his sights on the ship's documents and the four men last seen with George.

"I took Josh Askin's deposition first," he explained.

Mike Jones : Do you if George Smith was murdered? Josh Askin : Invoke my Fifth Amendment right. Mike Jones : Do you know who killed George Smith? Josh Askin : Invoke my Fifth Amendment right.

"That's a yes or no answer," Jones commented.

Josh Askin took the Fifth on everything:

Mike Jones : In late June of 2005 did you go on a Royal Caribbean cruise with your family? Josh Askin : I evoke [sic] my Fifth Amendment right.

"I had him take the Fifth as to his date of birth, his name," said attorney Keith Greer, who represents Askin. "And so I told him, 'The only way we're gonna do this, Josh, is if every single question you're asked, you plead the Fifth.'"

Greer says that Askin has always been cooperative, speaking freely to everyone, but there came a point when he had to shut him down. The feds were getting aggressive.

"And they told us that if Josh ever says anything that is different than what he said before the grand jury, anything, they will fly him back to Connecticut on perjury charges," Greer explained. "I couldn't have that happen."

Attorney Albert Dayan says Rusty Kofman got the same treatment and has stopped cooperating with the FBI.

"The more he wanted to speak with them, the more he wanted to tell them what happened, the more they accused him of foul play," he said.

During his deposition, Rusty Kofman didn't plead the Fifth, but his memory on a lot of things seemed a bit rusty:

Mike Jones : And when you say "we put him to bed" ... who put him to bed? Rusty Kofman : I don't have a recollection of that right now. Mike Jones : Josh said that he actually used the bathroom at that point, do you remember that? Rusty Kofman : I don't have a recollection of that.

Zachary Rozenberg also invoked his right against self incrimination.

Mike Jones : Was there a commotion in the room? Zach Rozenberg : I'd like to invoke my Fifth Amendment right ...

The only one who appeared forthcoming was Greg Rozenberg. In 2010, Mike Jones found him in a Florida prison:

Mike Jones : And why are you here in prison? Greg Rozenberg : Trafficking

Greg was serving three years for trafficking oxycodone, he says, to support his expensive taste:

Greg Rozenberg : I'm fanatic with clothes, jewelry, watches that's why I'm in here man. Mike Jones : But murder is a different deal. Greg Rozenberg : Murder is a different deal man. I don't have it in my heart to kill nobody man. Mike Jones : Did you have anything to do with George's death? Greg Rozenberg : No. Never did, never would, never thought about it, no.

Greg brought up that room service party:

Mike Jones : What did you eat? Greg Rozenberg : Tuna fish sandwiches, I know that. We had like tuna fish sandwiches and I think cheeseburgers ... I know we had some of that fast food type. We were just infatuated with the fact that we could order anything we wanted.

"You know, they ordered so much food, and they couldn't have killed George because they were in the room eating the room service," Jones told "48 Hours". "I mean, it's a nice story, but it doesn't work."

In 2010, Mike Jones finally got his hands on those Royal Caribbean internal documents.

"The room service party is pretty much blown by the information we got from Royal Caribbean. I mean that's a big fact," he said.

The ship's records show that although several short calls were made from Zach and Rusty's cabin to room service after 4:13 a.m., there is no record of any order of any kind.

"The handwritten records show that the room service was never delivered," said Jones.

"Was it human error they didn't write it down?" Keith Greer asked.

Greer insists the room service party did take place, but it was never really an alibi to begin with since it would have been delivered after George went missing.

"The food service itself doesn't prove that they were in a certain place at the time George went over 'cause George goes over about 4:20 in the morning. So at that point in time really the only alibi they have is each other," he explained.

If the ship's records raise some questions about where the men say they were that night, they also cast doubt as to where they implied Jennifer was -- remember the casino manager the guys say she left with at the disco?

"She was with another man ... the casino manager Lloyd," Josh Askin had said.

"And that -- that didn't happen. That just didn't happen," said Jones.

Other witnesses say Lloyd did not leave with Jennifer and key records show that he entered his girlfriend's cabin at 3:25 a.m., while the Smiths were still in the disco.

"And he had gone to his girlfriend's room. And she was able to corroborate that," Jones said. "So, I think Lloyd became the victim of this attempt by the Russians and by Josh Askin to deflect attention from themselves."

As for Jennifer, several witnesses saw an unsteady Jennifer leave the disco alone at 3:30 a.m.

"There are some witnesses from the cruise ship -- cruise ship employees that actually escorted her onto the elevator and tried to help her get off the elevator on her floor before she ended up going the wrong way on -- on deck nine," said Jones.

An hour later, Jennifer was found passed out in that hallway around the time George went overboard. Lloyd Botha and Jennifer both passed FBI polygraphs.

"The people that the Russians and Josh were pointing fingers at both came through the -- very cleanly on their polygraphs," said Jones.

Still on the FBI's radar are the four men. And the discovery of a homemade videotape only raises more suspicion.

"It's ridiculously provocative," Jones said of the videotape.

PROVOCATIVE VIDEOTAPE

For the last few years, Mike Jones has been trying to reignite a case he believes has gone cold in the Connecticut FBI office.

"...Unfortunately, obviously, after eight years, this has become, pretty much, a cold case," he said. "I mean, if you talk to the FBI, they'll say it's active and open, but I don't really believe that."

And Jones also doesn't believe the account of the four young men last seen with George Smith:

Mike Jones : When you left George in his bed, all you guys left, no one stayed behind? Greg Rozenberg : Nobody stayed behind, we all left.

"There's a lotta evidence to suggest that that was not as simple as -- as the Russian men and as Josh have said," Jones said. "You look at the behavior of these young men. ...they're not good boys or good Samaritans."

Royal Caribbean documents show complaints were made against some of the men for smoking, sneaking liquor and verbally abusing ship employees.

"They were dropping F-bombs on the room service people," said Jones.

And two days after George Smith went overboard, an 18-year-old passenger came forward with a major allegation of sexual assault.

"She stated that she was in one of their rooms, one of the Russians' rooms, and that there was group sex with her with some of the Russians," said Jones.

In the woman's statement, she says she was "completely intoxicated" and in between "blackouts", remembers having non-consensual sex with Greg Rozenberg, Rusty Kofman and Jeffrey Rozenberg -- Zach Rozenberg's younger brother.

"And they actually videotaped the group sex," Jones said. "And the fact that they videotaped themselves doing this, I mean, who does that?"

Rusty Kofman's lawyer says the sex was consensual.

"That whole escapade was non-criminal in nature. The tape itself revealed that," said Albert Dayan.

Josh Askin's lawyer, Keith Greer, says Josh did not have sex with the young woman -- but he was there.

"Josh walks into the room and there's one of the Russian boys having sex on the bed with the girl and another one of the boys filming it. And Josh was concerned," Greer explained. "It became clear to him very quickly that the boys weren't ... taking advantage of her. The girl was taking advantage of the boys."

Before he left CBS News to rejoin the New York City Police Department, John Miller investigated the case for "48 Hours."

"People [who] have seen that videotape have told me that the person holding the camera is doing kind of a narration and asking her questions and she's responding to them. But as this continues she's crying," Miller pointed out to Greer.

"I haven't heard anything about any crying from anyone," Greer replied.

Royal Caribbean had had enough and rounded up all of the young men and their families for a tense meeting with the ship's lawyer.

Josh Askin's father was again recording:

Lawyer : The FBI has asked us to detain your sons ... we're gonna have to ask you to have your sons go to their cabin and they're gonna have to remain there.

The group angrily denied the allegations.

The four men and their families were then removed from the ship in Naples, where Italian police looked into the rape allegation and washed their hands of it saying they had no jurisdiction. No one has ever been charged in the sexual incident and lawyers for the men believe the tape saved them.

"But for that tape, they could've been charged for something that they did not commit," said Dayan.

But that tape may come back to haunt them. The tape -- in the FBI's possession -- contained something else: a lunch meeting filmed by the Russian-Americans just hours after George went overboard. Josh Askin was not present.

"They pass a video camera around filming themselves commenting about George's death in a very callous way," Jones explained. "And they're laughing and joking very callously about him being wealthy ... And certainly the way they were talking, they either knew or they had a pretty good sense of what had happened."

A source close to the investigation has told CBS News that on the tape, one of the men -- Rusty Kofman -- refers to George going "parachute riding" off his balcony. It is not an admission, but it's at the very least provocative -- and there's more.

"But the really-- sort of, incriminating statement is one of them stands up at the end of the tape and sorta hunches his shoulders and flashes gang signs and says, 'Told ya I was gangsta,'" Jones explained. "And that's in the context of the discussion about George's death, almost as if he's bragging about having done something to George."

Jones says that young man was Greg Rozenberg.

"And I just don't understand how the FBI could have had this tape in their possession and still we sit here," George's sister, Bree said. "Get the guys in there. Question them!"

Lawyers for Zach Rozenberg and Rusty Kofman declined to comment on the video. In the spring of 2013, John Miller tried to see if Kofman himself could provide any more answers.

"There's a statement made on videotape where you say George went parachute riding off his balcony," Miller confronted Kofman.

"I have no comment. Please contact my lawyer and then we can arrange a time to speak," he replied.

Greg Rozenberg's lawyer says Greg didn't know George was dead at that point and that his client was just making a stupid comment.

"I don't think they're kidding around. It's just not something you would just come out and say you're kidding around," George Smith III said. "Because if you didn't do it, why would you be saying it?"

But if George was murdered, the question has always been why? Mike Jones believes there is finally enough evidence to piece it all together.

"The first thing you look at is motive, OK," Jones said. "George and Jennifer dressed well. George had a very expensive Breitling watch. They, sort of, flashed the money at the -- in the casino."

What's more, witnesses heard George and Jennifer saying they had thousands of dollars in wedding money in their cabin.

"And this got around because there were other passengers not within the circle of the Russians and Josh who heard the rumors about the money in the cabin. We don't believe it was true, but perception is everything," said Jones.

Jones believes that perception fueled a robbery attempt -- one that was hatched when they put George to bed and Askin had gone into the bathroom.

"The theory would be that they were arguing about whether or not one of them or -- or two of them should stay behind and see if they could find the money and take the watch, because George was in no position to argue or to put up a fight," Jones explained.

That arguing, Jones believes, is what Clete Hyman heard on the balcony. Jones also believes his theory fits with what the witness saw... just three men leaving.

"And one of them stays behind, starts to rifle through the drawers and the cabinets," he said.

Jones has a possible explanation for that blood stain.

"The blood is on the sheets ... the blood is in two sorta centimeter-long splashes. And almost looks like if you were taking off a watch -- and you pinched your skin ... it would be compatible with the -- the blood splatter that was on the bed," he explained. "While they're doin' that, George wakes up and says, 'What are you doin'?' A fight ensues which is consistent with the noises that people on both sides of the cabin heard. And George goes overboard. Other people hear the loud thud."

Josh Askin's lawyer, Keith Greer, argues that it's all nothing more than speculation.

"Even Clete Hyman ... and he even said that he did not hear the sounds that you would expect if there was a fight. You know, 'you dirty so and so,' the - the -- the smacking, the -- the kicking and stumbling and yelling. The two guys goin' at each other in -- in a fistfight. I just don't think it makes sense," said Greer.

Greer thinks that there is a simpler explanation for all that took place aboard the Brilliance of the Seas -- the sex assault claim, George going overboard.

"I don't know why anybody's missin' the theme here. 'Cause there's one common element ... and it's too much alcohol!" he said. "And we can go and, you know, blame it on murder and - and -- and blame it on aggressive sexual behavior here. You know what? It's just everybody drinkin' too much and stupid stuff happening. That fits."

But does it fit with what Josh Askin was heard saying on an elevator?

NEW HOPE IN THE CASE

Mike Jones is a persistent man--and today his persistence may finally pay off.

Jones is meeting with the FBI in New York -- hoping to convince them to take over the George Smith investigation.

"There's a lot riding on today's meeting," Jones explained. "The New York office just makes sense. It's a bigger office, they have more - capabilities. ... They are more experienced with big cases."

And two of the men in question live in New York: Zach Rozenberg and Rusty Kofman, who is now a practicing attorney. As Jones sees it, a courthouse is exactly where these men belong.

"This is a case that should be solved. It's a case that-- frankly, I think it is solved. It's just a question of pulling together enough evidence to get an indictment and a conviction," he said.

And while Jones waits for an answer from the FBI in New York, the Smiths maintain the key to solving the case lies in California.

"Our theory is that Josh Askin knows what happened," Mike Jones said. "But we don't believe that Josh was involved in the actual, you know, tossing of George overboard."

To support his theory, Jones points to an intriguing clue uncovered by Royal Caribbean: a ship employee overheard Josh Askin speaking to a friend on an elevator.

"He said, 'I -- I know more than they think I know. Those [expletive] almost got me arrested in Turkey,'" said Jones.

Keith Greer argues the comments were taken out of context and Josh has nothing to hide.

"Do you think that Josh Askin has told you everything he knows?" Miller asked Greer.

"Absolutely, no doubt," he replied.

But Greer admits the FBI told Askin he failed a polygraph. Greer questions the test and the result.

"I think it's another rubber-hose ploy, you know, where just to freak Josh out and upset him more," Greer told Miller. "I think it was just the psychological war that they were waging on him and his family. ... Or they didn't take the time to do it right, one or the other."

Sources tell CBS News Rusty Kofman also was tested, and he too failed.

As for Greg Rozenberg, he was administered a private polygraph test:

Greg Rozenberg deposition: I took a polygraph but it was inconclusive because I'm ADHD as you can tell I like to move a lot. It was inconclusive ... ain't no lies that I need to tell.

According to Phil Houston, a former CIA case officer who for more than two decades specialized in detecting deception, "Generally it's much easier to tell the actual lie on your own."

"48 Hours" decided to bring in Houston to take a closer look at those depositions.

"Is there anybody of the group that particularly jumps out?" Miller asked.

"Greg stands out -- above and beyond everyone. There was just a ton of deceptive behaviors," said Houston.

In Houston's opinion, it's not what Greg Rozenberg says that seems deceptive; it's often what he doesn't say.

"What we should hear and see his focus on, 'I didn't do it. It wasn't me. You got the wrong guy.' But 'we' -- instead, 'we don't.' Where we hear his focus so many times are reasons why he wouldn't do this," he explained.

Greg Rozenberg : I in no way shape or form would ever do anything like that to an individual ...that's not me.

And it appears some questions are more difficult for Greg than others:

Mike Jones : Did they -- now did they find anything in either room that that was connected to George's disappearance

"He hesitates. He's clearly thinking. The question has thrown him for a loop. It's almost, 'What could they have found that -- that would've connected someone to the disappearance?" Houston said of Greg's reaction.

Greg Rozenberg : [Pause] No. Mike Jones : OK ...

Greg Rozenberg : No. No, of course not.

"And then it's like, as he thinks through it, he realizes, 'I've gotta answer the question.' So he goes, 'Well, no. N - no,'" said Houston.

"So he's thinking about something that is not gonna come out in his answer," Miller noted.

"That's correct. That's correct, something he's not sharing."

But Greg Rozenberg doesn't hold back on the one thing the Smiths would agree with. He says George's death was no accident:

Greg Rozenberg : George Allen Smith did not disappear, or kill himself or hurt himself, or slip and fall off the boat at 6'4" or however tall he is and just dive off ... I know that didn't happen. So uh ... Some, some, something crazy went down that night. And I hope one day that they find out the truth.

In the years following George's death, Jennifer has remarried and tried to move on. But for the Smiths, it's not so easy. This week, the family announced that they are offering a reward -- $100, 000 -- for information that leads directly to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible.

"We're hoping with this $100,000 reward ... this might just be the thing that we need to get the arrest and convictions. And I think with that reward that just may be the final piece of the puzzle that may finally end the injustice that's gone on for 9 years," Bree Smith told "48 Hours".

The FBI is giving the family new hope. The New York field office is now offering assistance and a team of new agents in the Connecticut office has been assigned to the case.

"I've got a lot of confidence in the new team ... and they're working very hard on this," Maureen Smith said. "They're very determined and they don't like what they see. ...So we're very fortunate to have them working for our family now."

Until the day the case is solved, the Smiths vow to not let George's memory die on that ship.

"We'll get justice," said George Smith III.

"We'll get justice," Maureen Smith agreed. "Somehow we'll get justice for George. Somebody will talk. And shame on them that don't. Shame on the people that have put us through this eight years of hell."

REWARD OFFERED

The Smith family is offering a $100,000 rewar d for information leading "to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible" for their son going missing from his honeymoon cruise.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-844-651-1936 or send an email to [email protected]

Correspondent, "48 Hours," "CBS Evening News"

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