N.J. woman vanishes after fall from cruise ship

FBI investigating whether crime was committed; relatives ask for full probe

	Steve Lynn holds family photos of his sister Mindy Jordan, as he talks with reporters Wednesday in Bordentown, N.J. Norwegian Cruise Lines says Jordan, 46, of Pine Hill, N.J., on a trip with Jorge Caputo, was apparently trying to climb between balconies on a cruise ship when she fell overboard Sunday, in the Atlantic Ocean, some 45 miles from Atlantic City.
Mel Evans / AP

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updated 12:34 p.m. ET May 15, 2008

BORDENTOWN, N.J. - A woman taking a cruise with her boyfriend plunged into the sea off New Jersey from a balcony attached to her room, and the FBI is investigating whether a crime occurred.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it appeared that Mindy Jordan, a slight 46-year-old nurse from Pine Hill, fell Sunday as she tried to reach from one balcony to another on a windy night.

The Miami-based cruise line said Wednesday that surveillance cameras aboard the Norwegian Dawn captured her fall and indicated she was alone just beforehand. The Coast Guard has stopped searching for her.

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Jordan's relatives asked authorities for a full investigation. They say they had previously encouraged Jordan to contact authorities about the way her boyfriend treated her.

"Our interest is to understand what happened," said Jordan's brother, Steve Lynn.

The ship had left New York just two hours before Jordan fell. It continued on to Bermuda, arriving Wednesday. The boyfriend remained on the cruise ship and was not available for comment; he has not been charged with a crime.

FBI spokesman Jim Margolin said agents were in Bermuda to interview witnesses as the cruise ship arrived there.

"Among the things we're going to try to determine is whether a crime occurred," Margolin said.

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