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  #1  
Old 02-06-2007, 05:40 AM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Default Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt

This is what I found on my homepage when I got home this morning. It gave me a great idea for the long drive to NARAM this summer.

"ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — An astronaut drove 900 miles and donned a disguise to confront a woman she believed was her rival for the affections of a space shuttle pilot, police said. She was arrested Monday and charged with attempted kidnapping and other counts.

U.S. Navy Capt. Lisa Nowak, 43, who flew last July on a shuttle mission to the international space station, was also charged with attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery. She was denied bail and is scheduled to make a court appearance Tuesday.

Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International Airport to confront Colleen Shipman.

Nowak believed Shipman was romantically involved with Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein, a pilot during space shuttle Discovery's trip to the space station last December, police said.

Nowak told police that her relationship with Oefelein was "more than a working relationship but less than a romantic relationship," according to an arrest affidavit. Police officers recovered a love letter to Oefelein in her car.

NASA spokesman James Hartsfield in Houston said that, as of Monday, Nowak's status with the astronaut corps remained unchanged.

"What will happen beyond that, I will not speculate," he said.

Hartsfield said he couldn't recall the last time an astronaut was arrested and said there were no rules against fraternizing among astronauts.

When she found out that Shipman was flying to Orlando from Houston, Nowak decided to confront her, according to the arrest affidavit. Nowak raced from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop to urinate, authorities said. Astronauts wear diapers during launch and re-entry.

Dressed in a wig and a trench coat, Nowak boarded an airport bus that Shipman took to her car in an airport parking lot. Shipman told police she noticed someone following her, hurried inside the car and locked the doors, according to the arrest affidavit.

Nowak rapped on the window, tried to open the car door and asked for a ride. Shipman refused but rolled down the car window a few inches when Nowak started crying. Nowak then sprayed a chemical into Shipman's car, the affidavit said.

Shipman drove to the parking lot booth, and the police were called.

During a check of the parking lot, an officer followed Nowak and watched her throw away a bag containing the wig and BB gun. They also found a steel mallet, a 4-inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags inside a bag Nowak was carrying when she was arrested, authorities said.

Inside Nowak's vehicle, which was parked at a nearby motel, authorities uncovered a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein. They also found a letter "that indicated how much Mrs. Nowak loved Mr. Oefelein," an opened package for a buck knife, Shipman's home address and hand written directions to the address, the arrest affidavit said.

Police said Nowak told them that she only wanted to scare Shipman into talking to her about her relationship with Oefelein and didn't want to harm her physically.

"If you were just going to talk to someone, I don't know that you would need a wig, a trench coat, an air cartridge BB gun and pepper spray," said Sgt. Barbara Jones, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Police Department. "It's just really a very sad case. ... Now she ends up finding herself on the other side of the law with some very serious charges."

If convicted of attempted kidnapping, Nowak could face a maximum of life in prison.

It was not immediately known whether Nowak had an attorney.

Oefelein and Shipman did not immediately return phone messages Monday night.

According to NASA's official biography, Nowak is married with three children. During her 13-day mission in July she operated the robotic arm during three spacewalks.

Oefelein is unmarried. He piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He has two children, according to a NASA biography.

Nowak and Oefelein were both first-time fliers during their shuttle missions last year. They trained together but never flew together."
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  #2  
Old 02-06-2007, 10:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum
This is what I found on my homepage when I got home this morning. It gave me a great idea for the long drive to NARAM this summer.

Will you also wear a wig and a trenchcoat?
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Old 02-06-2007, 11:45 AM
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Default Charges now upped to Attempted Murder

This is a wierd case unfolding. According to FOX News, the charges against Nowak have been increased to attempted murder.

The chemical she sprayed into the car was pepper spray (FOX).

Nowak's mug shot would scare Dracula...

AMMENDED: First Degree attempted murder, and First Degree attempted kidnapping. A judge has denied bond.
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Last edited by CPMcGraw : 02-06-2007 at 12:14 PM.
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  #4  
Old 02-06-2007, 12:35 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRThro
Will you also wear a wig and a trenchcoat?


Why should this trip be any different?
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  #5  
Old 02-06-2007, 12:37 PM
A Fish Named Wallyum A Fish Named Wallyum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPMcGraw
This is a wierd case unfolding. According to FOX News, the charges against Nowak have been increased to attempted murder.

The chemical she sprayed into the car was pepper spray (FOX).

Nowak's mug shot would scare Dracula...

AMMENDED: First Degree attempted murder, and First Degree attempted kidnapping. A judge has denied bond.


The scary thing is that she seemed to think that this was a viable option to solving this problem. I'm guessing there will be an insanity defense, and I can't say I'd disagree.
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  #6  
Old 02-06-2007, 01:25 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by A Fish Named Wallyum
The scary thing is that she seemed to think that this was a viable option to solving this problem. I'm guessing there will be an insanity defense, and I can't say I'd disagree.


I don't think she has much of an option. Something boiled over in her cauldron...
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  #7  
Old 02-06-2007, 03:27 PM
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I think charges of "attempted" ANYTHING are a total crock of excrement in ALL circumstances.
From what I have seen that has been reported, a charge of ANYTHING above "felonious assault" is a typical knee-jerk case of prosecutorial ZEALOTISM.

Attempted murder with a BB Gun and Pepper spray ? That is a HUGE reach for even the most Over-Zealotous prosecutor. An Astronaut Navy Captain more than likely has an IQ and creative intelligence much higher than that of anyone employed in a prosecutors office; that person certainly if they intended to do what these buffoons claim most likely would have came up with a much more well thought out plan than a "BB GUN & Pepper Spray"....sounds like some sort of mental breakdown to me.
I see that they are claiming the intent of the defendant was to murder....what a JOKE.....are they mind readers ? Intent phooey, they are GUESSING, period.
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Old 02-06-2007, 05:02 PM
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Not that it matters all that much but the last I heard the BB gun didn't have the CO-2 cartridge in it so it wouldn't fire BB's.

It sounds to me like she had a mental breakdown. I really feel badly for the woman she assaulted, the shuttle commander that she was fixated on, her, her husband, and especially the three kids that she has. What a shame...
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Old 02-06-2007, 05:41 PM
Ltvscout Ltvscout is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cas2047
It sounds to me like she had a mental breakdown. I really feel badly for the woman she assaulted, the shuttle commander that she was fixated on, her, her husband, and especially the three kids that she has. What a shame...

I feel bad for her kids and NASA who now has to go into damage control with their tarnished image. True, she was Navy, but NASA still had to clear her to fly missions.
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  #10  
Old 02-06-2007, 09:39 PM
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Ah, the things we do for love!
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