Astronaut accused of kidnapping attempt

Oh. My. God.

From The AP: 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, destruction of evidence and battery. She was denied bail.

And it gets better. According to police ...

- When driving to Orlando, Nowak wore adult diapers so she wouldn't have to stop and pee. (Fun fact: Astronauts regularly wear diapers during launch and takeoff.)

- Nowak, clad in a wig and trench coat, followed her "rival," Colleen Shipman, to Shipman's car in an airport parking lot. She tried to get a ride, but Shipman locked the doors and wouldn't let her in. Her big mistake? Rolling down the window a hair when Nowak started crying. Nowak allegedly sprayed a chemical into the car. Shipman drives to get help, police arrive. End scene.

- Nowak was caught with a BB gun, a steel mallet, a 4-inch folding knife, rubber tubing, $600 and garbage bags, police said. And in her car, they found "a pepper spray package, an unused BB-gun cartridge, latex gloves and e-mails between Shipman and Oefelein ... 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."

- Besides being one of the very few human beings to travel in outer space, Nowak is also married with three kids.

(Hat Tip: JT!)

Comments

[CareBear]

I think she might be suffering from the little known dreaded disease of too much space between the ears! The only known cure is a striped uniform, 3 meals and a cot.

[BS Steve]

Lets just hope she doesnt claim she has some weird space disease and uses that as a defence to be set free.....

An ideal punishment would be to put her in a padded room for a very long long time......But being she is a captain she will probably get a dishonorable dismiss...a little counciling maybe pay restitution....And be set free to walk amongus again...Typical government policy...

[G - channeling Biggin]

And she's a woman...so they'll go easy on her

[smoothk]

I've heard of that disease{space Between The Ears] and she has it covered I agree she needs time to clear the air, where she can get three hots and a cot , along with numbers she can remember, and of course she can find a new lover there.

[BS Steve]

Better Picture In Here

Your pick did to much justice for her James....LOl

[STARVE THE ARTISTS]

I think she was concerned about filling a space right near the moon.....

[onetime]

whoa, looks like somebody got up on the wrong side of the space station. Grrr hottie!

[me2]

Wow...

[derric]

what good honestly comes out of NASA? Two blown up shuttles, billions of dollars of wasted money, and what is the benefit of all this time and money?? nothing

["The G"]

proof positive that fact truly is stranger than fiction

[D]

Her punishment should be to work on the space station for three to five years?!?!

[me2]

We landed on the moon. Didnt we? You cant fake that kinda stuff.

[The DB]

Waiting for aqua....3..2...1...

[Kyle]

We have cable TV the NFL Sunday Ticket and spy satellites because of NASA they are the greatest.

[Kyle]

We have cable TV the NFL Sunday Ticket and spy satellites because of NASA they are the greatest.

[BS Steve]

me2,

You are one of thsoe that think we didnt land on the moon????

[grumpy]

The unjust part is, the poor guy, who's married, could get a dishonorable discharge for adultery, all because his crazy mistress attacked his other mistress and made the newspaper.

[The_Golfer]

I like what NASA is doing, just they waste too much money. They have been trying to mothball the shuttles for about 10 years but DC wouldn't give them the money to build anything newer. They are building a newer one that acts basically like an airplane. Looks like one too, should improve the space station and speed its building and occupancy.

[me2]

No, I am not BS. I know there are people out there that think we didnt. Like I said how can you make that up?

[Mickey Mouse]

Singing song from David Bowie, "Ground control to Major Tom...take your protein pills and put your helmet on....

[BS Steve]

She is on release now with a gps device to track her movements....

[Biggin]

Women can be quite violent.

[BS Steve]

O ok was gonna say me2....I was gonna point and laugh at your screen name histerically.....Lol.....And then do it again.....Just for fun :P......

[me2]

Sorry to burst your bubble. LOL

[Mike]

Houston,,,,,,,,,, We have a Problem

[J]

Maybe she is the the next E.T.

[The DB]

Betcha she is a gold member of the "Mile High Club"

[CJ]

She should join all the rest of Hollywood and politicians in rehab......

[Biggin]

Women emotionally are often overwhelmed & can act like children.

[Biggin]

Women emotionally are often overwhelmed & can act like children.

[G]

Hmm, i think the majority of love driven stalker types are men. So...men are even MORE often emotionally overwhelmed and act like children.

[Nick]

Released on 15k bail and a tracking device for attempted kidnapping? She must be a wonderful mother.
If it were a man, it would be 500 to 1m bail, meaning sit and wait till conviction 2 years later, with additonal charges like armed criminal action and stalking tacked on.

[Betsy]

Hmm..I wonder if her defense is going to be, "When I was in space, these aliens came and brainwashed me."

[Betsy]

Hmm..I wonder if her defense is going to be, "When I was in space, these aliens came and brainwashed me."

[Rhonda]

Photo of Cmdr Oefelein

["The G"]

LMAOOOOOOOOOO Rhonda, that dude has the total astronaut "buzz lightyear" haircut

[Rhonda]

James - You really got the wrong picture on this story. Here's the mug shot. It's priceless.

Captain Nowak

[onetime]

nice for them to mention Laika. Nobody remembers the dog.

[Mickey Mouse]

To Rhonda:

By the looks of it, it looks like she started to use meth. You know those photos I'm talking about. The Before picture and pictures, thereafter, showing you going downhill and downhill and downhill. Either that or gravity is catching up with her..LOL

[Rhonda]

MM, I thought it was just a bad hair day lol.

[Wes S.]

"Off we go, into the wild blue yonder..."

Eek. She didn't just "travel" to outer space; I'm not sure she wasn't already there...

[Jeff]

I'd hit it.

["The G"]

I think we are all overlooking the comedic possibilities that the diaper part of this story offers....here I'll start:

"during the drive, her head was not the only thing full of crap"

....go

[The_Gofler]

To continue,

But I don't know what crapped up the front seat honey!!

[Wes S.]

Or perhaps she just turned into a Reaver. What was that line from "Firefly"/"Serenity...?"

"'Some people go off into the black and never come back.'"

Maybe it was just the "pax."

[Ray Sharpless]

Where were the much hearalded psych profilers when they accepted this neurotic bimbo into the space program. Another NASA SNAFU

[Ray Sharpless]

Where were the much hearalded psych profilers when they accepted this neurotic bimbo into the space program. Another NASA SNAFU

[Mike]

This whole thing just goes to support my number one rule in life (from which all other universal truths can be derived):

1. Women are crazy.

[plombage]

Cmdr Oefelein is wearing a wedding ring in the photo.

[blondie2hot7]

rhonda: That picture you posted is more fitting for the story, I have to admit. She's probably in an orange suit as we speak, but it's not a space suit!!

Kudos to you rhonda, tell it like it is girl!

[blondie2hot7]

mike: In response to your comment, "All women are crazy!

My reply "If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they put them all there?" lol

[Rhonda]

Well said, Blondie.

[Mike]

LOL ... touchet, blondie ...

That reminds me of something that happened to a friend of mine. He forgot his anniversary and his wife really let him have it. She told him that if she didn't wake up and see something out in the driveway the next morning that went zero to two hundred in sixty seconds flat, he'd really get it. She got up the next morning and saw a box wrapped up, sitting in the driveway. She went out, unwrapped it and was there it was ... a brand new scale.

[blondie2hot7]

LMAO mike. So did your friend "get it?" LOL

Reminds me of the "HoneyMooners"
Pow, zam straight to the moon!!

The thing I find positive about this story, there is still hope that I can become an astronaut... I am considering going to NASA school.

[BS Steve]

blondie,

I heard woman were from Venus......

Cant live with them cant live with out them........

[Blondie]

Isn't this just what you want your children to see on TV and in the papers?

[factman]

Another case showing women can't handle anything big !

[Biggin]

Women never forget if they have been wronged in some way. They will use it against you either quickly or will draw it out for an eternity.

[bill]

The story says astronauts wear diapers on takeoff and re entry. I was glad to hear that, cuz I've always thought I would crap my pants during a takeoff or re entry. Now I know I"m not the only one.

She is more than just a "spaced out" chicK!

[Nick]

Attempted 1st degree murder charge added. Bail increased another 10k and she's FREE AGAIN!

[Biggin]

She is a killer

[blondie2hot7]

Nick: I cannot believe they let her out, even with a monitor on her little sly self. This woman is obviously nuts..

An ankle bracelet isn't going to track her drug usage, they need to keep this chick locked up. I'm wondering if they are going to see if she's going to attempt another unthinkable, but the again, who knows?

[michelle]

and they walk among us ...

[Prayers4Natalee Holloway]

If this wasn't so serious it would be hilarious! Lock her up!

[derric]

how sweet...her valentines day gift to her boyfriend was a card that said "roses are red violets are blue I just killed your other girlfriend so I could be with you...

another success story for love

[eephus]

Q: When can you commit the following crimes and get released on $25,000 bail: attempted kidnapping, attempted murder, battery, vehicular burglary, destruction of evidence, carrying concealed weapons, and stalking? You’re caught wearing a disguise and with a 4-in. jackknife, pepper spray, a steel mallet, a BB gun, rubber hose and trash bags. The police defend you, saying that “this is just a sad case”, and your employer defends you, saying that they are concerned with your “well-being”.

A: When you’re a woman.

A man would have been immediately fired by NASA, denied bail by the judge, and vilified in the press as an animal and a dark-eyed killer. Instead, she will be sympathetically portrayed and will be described as “off her medication” and “battling inner demons”. I predict that she won’t spend a day in jail.

I love how her attorney said that she “just wanted to talk” to the victim. Sure—I always carry a deadly weapon when I want to have a casual conversation.

[gary]

#1 Woman Astronaut driving car beats jet to other airport. or #2 Al Gore invents the internet or #3 everything they print about space aliens in The Weekly World News is True. Now if you were told to guess which story is the truth.....could I pass and go for a vowel instead?

[Nick]

Nick: I cannot believe they let her out, even with a monitor on her little sly self. This woman is obviously nuts..

Nuts probably. Deadly serious? I think she started out that way and got cold feet. She had it planned to the most intricate detail.
The fact that she was able to intercept the other woman at the airport, and decrease her window of opportunity to a small time frame indicates that. Had she done the deed and hightailed it back, she never would have needed a alibi. Total mission time, less than 24 hours.
Cartridge fed gas operated BB gun? Deadly at point blank, without noise, and without powder burns, or residual powder on herself, plus, smooth bore means no ballistics.

Then again, she could just be wacked out. Sometimes people who have jobs that require risking their lives as a matter of routine simply lose it. I've seen it before in the military. Either way, it's going to be one hell of a book!

[blondie2hot7]

Nick: I uderstand what you are saying, but what I meant was, she might be suicidal.. If she does that, there goes their theory/case right out the window, so to speak

[blondie2hot7]

eephus: Then by all means, don't come visit with me to talk!
=:O

[BS Steve]

I will be waiting for her when she gets out of jail...and we can share diapers

[eephus]

Blondie,

Don't worry. The only "weapon" I own is a 30-year-old pocket knife, and I don't even know where it is.

[kboooooom]

Hey, astronauts need lovin' too!

[B]

I know this woman worked hard to go through the ranks to become a Navy Captain. They don't just pick anyone to become an astronaut so she is probably more intelligent than the average.

I have to make the assertion hormones got the best of her.

I have some questions about her situation.

1. There is no talk about a current or previous husband. Is there one or multiple?

2. She states her relationship was between a professional relationship and a romantic relationship. what the hell does that mean? She fantasized about him? She played house with her barbie and ken dolls?

3. What man is worth going to jail for and losing her retirement? He is not even that good looking. Maybe space makes things look bigger or better.

She is definitely going to be classified 4H from now on.