From jilted to jailed

The Las Vegas Review Journal ^ | Dec 15 04 | Brian Haynes

[winodog]

From jilted to jailed: Man snaps after wife leaves

Henderson bank standoff ended peacefully

By BRIAN HAYNES REVIEW-JOURNAL

Doug Edward McDonald waited 44 years to find what he believed was true love.

Her name was Svetlana, a 20-something Ukrainian he met through a mail-order bride service. The Henderson man loved her like no other woman, even when she left him just four months after their wedding, his lawyer said.

McDonald believed her sudden disappearance had something to do with prostitution, and after months of calling authorities and waiting for answers, McDonald took matters into his own hands, attorney Philip Singer said.

Armed with a loaded revolver, McDonald went to a Henderson mailbox business Dec. 3 and confronted a Russian man who had helped Svetlana transition to U.S. life, Singer said.

When he didn't get the answers he wanted, McDonald ran to a nearby bank, ordered everyone to leave and barricaded himself inside a vault. He surrendered more than three hours later, but only after negotiators met his only demand, Singer said.

"In the vault he just asked for one thing," Singer said. "And that was to hear his wife's voice

[winodog]

Heres one mail order bride story that did not end in happiness. I have a friend I last saw about a year ago and he was happier then I had ever seen him. He was about to leave for Russia to pick up his bride. I wonder how his turned out.

[Mr. K]

hey! don't leave us hanging- contact him and let us know! You may be doing a public service.

[lormand]

Too bad he didn't consider this choice...

...Judy or jail?

[Publius6961]

Of course he's upset!
He paid for her fair and square.

(Mensa candidate alert!)

[Prime Choice]

Working in the tech sector, I know a fair amount of guys who terminally strike out with American women. Of that group, I know four gents who have brought home foreign brides (one Canadian, one Australian, one Indian, one Russian). Not one of the marriages lasted longer than a year, and all of the guys were out tens of thousands of dollars. It was wholly predictable, entirely unstoppable, and absolutely horrible to watch.

What's worse, I've seen the same dynamic play out with long-distance relationships begun over the Internet. Ugh.

My advice to anyone seeking romance and a life partner: stick with the local area.

[Martha Freeper]

russian mail order bride ping!

[winodog]

Its a shame to see because love can be such a terrible thing and I know I could never trust a foreign woman. I dont believe in internet relationships. I am aware that many of these work and it seems like a good idea. You actually get to know someone before you meet them, but the temptation to decieve is there.

[Prime Choice]

I think the major stumbling block to long-distance relationships is that each party only gets a partial picture of the other person's self and thus fills in the parts they don't have with an idealized person that doesn't exist. That's always a recipe for disaster.

[Hildy]

This wasn't an internet relationship, this was a business transaction. I know some of these work out, but the thought that men must resort to this is just really sad, in my opinion.

[Publius6961]

My advice to anyone seeking romance and a life partner: stick with the local area.

I was with you right up to this statement. It depends on how it's done. If it is treated as a normal courtship, with due deliberation for getting to know each other and waiting a rational length of time, it is no better or worse than any other marriage.

How do I know? My Canadian wife and I are into our sixth year. She is down to earth, unpretentious, my best friend and a wonderful companion.

[Prime Choice]

My Canadian wife and I are into our sixth year. She is down to earth, unpretentious, my best friend and a wonderful companion.

Congratulations and best wishes to you and yours! Just remember that your happy outcome tends to be the exception rather than the rule.

[Prime Choice]

...the thought that men must resort to this is just really sad, in my opinion.

Agreed, but don't forget the other half of the equation. They're resorting to that vector as well. (Takes two to tango and all that.)

[Lockbar]

I'm sure 80% of these Russian Mail-order brides are set-ups to get here to the "big PX" to start stripping and Porno careers. I know a guy that married a Russian gal who had already abandoned and ripped off the first guy that brought her here, and she did the same number on this second guy.

I have a solution, don't marry anybody, either American or Russian. I made that mistake twice with US gals. I should have know better after the first time.

[jellybean]

If it is treated as a normal courtship, with due deliberation for getting to know each other and waiting a rational length of time, it is no better or worse than any other marriage.

I agree. My son met his fiance over the internet. They've been together 5 years. She's not foreign born, but it was a long distance relationship for about 2 years. He moved to Pennsylvania in 2001. They have the same struggles as anyone else, but are very happy.

[winodog]

Good point.

[vetvetdoug]

Women, can't live with them, can't live with them.

Visit the website, Nomarriage.com and hear what this guy has to say about American women. Interesting at the least, much of what is said is painfully true. I know there are nice women out there to be had, I just haven't seen any of them.

Internet dating is a pain. After two blimps and a recovering lesbian, I quit Match.com. I have been considering the Japanese version of the blow up doll.

[stinkerpot65]

The problem is the even desperate foreign women have no respect for social losers.

[Lockbar]

"Internet dating is a pain. After two blimps and a recovering lesbian, I quit Match.com. I have been considering the Japanese version of the blow up doll."

Five years ago I meet a very attractive local American gal using Match.com. We dated for 6 months and got pretty heavily involved, but things in her life always seemed to "go wrong". Like I had to lend her $$ because her power kept being shut off, she couldn't make the bills. Plus she had a hard time keeping a job. The end came when she decided to give the finger to a guy behind us in traffic that was blowing his car horn at us. Sorry, I'm not interested in taking a bullet in the head. I could see it now, I get shot and am paralyzed for life in a hospital, and she can't figure out why things didn't work out between me and her. No thanks.

[winodog]

Bump

[Hardastarboard]

I saw an Internet romance turn into a lasting marriage (so far), but then again, they're both Democrats, so all bets are off as far as their sanity.