Jennifer Seitz was reported missing from the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship off the Yucatan coast of Mexico in the early morning hours of December 26, 2008. Ship personnel notified the Coast Guard for assistance after an initial search recovered no evidence of her whereabouts. Surveillance footage from the ship depicts a woman wearing a white bathrobe going over the side.ABC News: Search Suspended for Woman Lost at Sea (December 29, 2008) A Seitz family member told the Associated Press that Seitz may have intentionally thrown herself from the ship, citing previous "emotional issues."NVDaily.com: Family of missing cruise woman believes she jumped (December 29, 2008)

On December 28, 2008, the cruise ship on which Seitz had been aboard returned to port in Miami. In a statement, Mexico's Fifth Naval Regional Command reported that they had discovered no signs of the missing woman. In the two days they had been searching for her, the Mexican Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard had covered over 2,500 square miles looking for Seitz with no success.MSNBC: Missing Cruise Ship Passenger Is From Winter Haven (December 29, 2008)

After the ship had returned to port in Miami, the FBI spoke with Ray Seitz and collected evidence from the ship, including surveillance video that showed a woman falling from the ship.

On December 29, 2008, Jim and Suzanne Nestor, two passengers who were also aboard the cruise ship appeared on The Today Show. Jim Nestor reported that the day after his wife went missing, Ray Seitz announced he was going to visit the ship's casino "to see if he could change his luck." Another passenger described Ray Seitz's behavior as "nonchalant" following his wife's disappearance.Today (MSNBC): Missing woman's husband acted odd... (December 29, 2008)