# Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt



## JoninNH (Jan 29, 2004)

By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer 17 minutes ago

ORLANDO, Fla. - An astronaut drove from Houston to Florida, donned a disguise and confronted a woman she believed was romantically involved with a space shuttle pilot she was in love with, police said. She was 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.
Police said Nowak drove from her home in Houston to the Orlando International Airport - wearing diapers so she wouldn't have to stop to urinate - 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 drove the 900-mile trip from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers, police 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. 
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 piloted the space shuttle Discovery in December. He has two children, according to a NASA biography. 
___ Associated Press writers Kelli Kennedy and Jessica Gresko in Miami contributed to this report.


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## NewEngland2007 (Dec 31, 2005)

What a space shot!


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

talk about throwing your life away!


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## adroitcuffs (Jun 3, 2006)

How foolish, to throw it all away over a non-existent relationship -- and to go to such extremes!! If a man wants to be with you, he'll be with you!


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## CampusOfficer (Dec 29, 2002)

I guess the relationship is up in the air.


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## Foxracingmtnridr (Feb 23, 2003)

<insert hack quote> Friggen space cadet.


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

I can see it now ...the "gravity" defense, being in space affected her brain or some such crap


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## Mikey682 (May 2, 2002)

hmm, diaper so you dont have to stop to pee. That would solve some problems on those long summer road details.


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## screamineagle (Jul 11, 2005)

:uc:


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## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

Rockets make people a little crazy!


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

SOT_II said:


> Rockets make people a little crazy!


Just a little ??????? LOL


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## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)

Well I would say fully crazy if she actually executed the plan in full and chopped that lady up into small bits and put her in the trash as planned.


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## Inspector (Nov 13, 2006)

She just didn't understand the gravity of the situation.


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## alphadog1 (Oct 16, 2006)

WOW! Good to know her status has not changed with NASA.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*Astronaut Arrested In Bizarre Love-Triangle Charge*

 
*view*  
U.S. Navy Capt. astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested Feb. 5, 2007 in Orlando in a bizarre love-triangle case. She was charged with charged with attempted kidnapping after police day s...

*View Photos*


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## JoninNH (Jan 29, 2004)

I told you, she's the fugglyist woman I have ever seen...


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## DPD77 (Feb 3, 2004)

Can't wait for the movie....... "She's got the right stuff" :naughty:


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## justanotherparatrooper (Aug 27, 2006)

Hey how would you look if you drove 900 miles with no sleep wearing a diaper? She dont look too bad in the nasa pics...


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## Goose (Dec 1, 2004)

JoninNH said:


> I told you, she's the fugglyist woman I have ever seen...


Ehh. I bet Andy would have driven straight down to Florida in a diaper to meet up with her. :fun:


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## Nachtwächter (Dec 9, 2005)

She is not fat might not be Andy's type. Then again everything is Andy's type.


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## SOT (Jul 30, 2004)




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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

(Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel)

Astronaut's troubles deepen

Lisa Nowak, above during her arraignment on attempted kidnapping charge, has learned she also will be charged with attempted murder.

VIDEO


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## OutOfManyOne (Mar 2, 2006)

kwflatbed said:


> *Astronaut Arrested In Bizarre Love-Triangle Charge*
> 
> 
> *view*
> ...


 I'd hit it, with or without the diapers.


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## 4ransom (Mar 1, 2006)

I wonder if you can have sex in space, with no gravity... It would take some creativity


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## OutOfManyOne (Mar 2, 2006)

4ransom said:


> I wonder if you can have sex in space, with no gravity... It would take some creativity


 You can, but watch where you bust that nut, you don't want it ending up as someone's floating snack, like they eat those M&Ms in space.


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## Duff112 (Apr 14, 2006)

OutOfManyOne said:


> You can, but watch where you bust that nut, you don't want it ending up as someone's floating snack, like they eat those M&Ms in space.


Hey Many-

Thanks for ruining my dinner with the visual on that one...P:


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## OutOfManyOne (Mar 2, 2006)

Visualization is key.


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## PearlOnyx (Jun 28, 2002)

You guys joke about the "gravity" defense and what not. They brought that up on one of the local radio talk shows here in Orlando this morning.


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## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

*THE ASTRONAUT AVENGER: Charged With Attempted Murder...*

*UPDATE: Woman Claims NASA Astronaut Stalked Her For Months, Used Government Contacts To Find Her...*


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