Colleen Shipman
A shocking development in the case of former astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak, accused of stalking and attempting to kidnap romantic rival U.S. Air Force Capt (retired) Colleen Shipman: evidence Shipman may have lied and the prosecution may have hidden that evidence.
According to WESH in Orlando, paramedics said that there were no physical signs that Nowak had sprayed Shipman in the face with pepper spray during the February 2007 incident at Orlando International Airport. However, Shipman later told police that Nowak had pepper sprayed her through the window of her car after Shipman rolled her window down.
Paramedics at the scene, summoned by Shipman's 911 call, said that Shipman told them that she hadn't been sprayed. Now, Nowak's lawyers also say that the prosecution, which had been seeking to put Nowak in prison on attempted kidnapping charges, knew about the contradictory testimony and kept it from Nowak's defense team.
The prosecution denies that charge during this latest twist in an infamous sex and love scandal that spawned astronaut and diaper jokes after police claimed that Nowak wore adult diapers in a mad dash to Orlando to attack Shipman, a charge Nowak refutes. Also in contention: Orlando police handling of the incident ant Nowak.
Months ago, Orange Circuit Court Judge Marc Lubet earlier had thrown evidence taken from Nowaks car out of court, lecturing police and citing several police failures, including lack of appropriate Miranda warnings, threats, refusal to let Nowak make calls, and stonewalling her request to talk to an attorney.
On appeal, the prosecution managed to get the evidence reinstated. But, the state and Shipman's story both took a hit during Nowak's request to have an ankle monitor removed as Shipman admitted to visiting former astronaut boyfriend Bill Oefelein several times after the incident in Houston, where both Nowak and Oefelein lived.
Shipman tried to convince the court that she was afraid to live her normal life in Cape Canaveral, FL if Nowak's monitor was removed, but that she felt "safe" in Houston. The court removed Nowak's ankle monitor.
The tangled mess, which included the release of tawdry emails between Oefelein and Shipman, began when Oefelein, then married, began a relationship with Nowak, also married. Next, Oefelein, who, like Nowak, is now divorced, began another relationship with Shipman, judggling the two women.
Comedians around the world had a field day with jokes about diapers and "astronuts." The case rocked NASA's clean-cut astronaut hero image, cost Oefelein his astronaut and military career, and Shipman her miltary career. Capitalizing on their notoriety, the couple, now engaged, began an "adventure writing" company in Alaska.
Although dismissed from the astronaut corps, Nowak continues to serve, working at a Navy flight training center in Texas.
Her trial is now set for December 7.
Earlier coverage, with video of Shipman's testimony about Nowak's ankle bracelet, is here.
Comments
This article stinks of your "former" NASA days. Now that Nowak has pleaded guilty and admitted to spraying Shipman with pepper spray, your article reeks of bias and faulty/absent research. For instance, how did the case cost Shipman her career?
Also, considering that Shipman and Oefelein run a respectable business with absolutely no ties to the case and considering that Nowak ran fund raisers and a campaign to raise money for her defense, I'd say it is you (with your article) and Nowak with her "defense fund" (which escaped mention in your article) who capitalized on the case.
You're well on your own way to notoriety.
Final grade: F. Bad reporting all around.
Patricia, I disagree with the above comment. I believe Colleen Shipman has told many lies. I'm not excusing what Lisa Nowak did. Anyone that saw Shipman in court realizes she isn't the scared little innocent she claims. Lisa Nowak has never admitting spraying Shipman with pepper spray (who knows, it could have been hair spray, still not right, but neither does it prove it was pepper spray). Shipman was so in fear of Nowak she was petrified she would come after her again. Yet, she kept up visits to Houston where Nowak lived. She said she wasn't afraid of Nowak as long as she was with Bill Oefelein. Wow, if Nowak was as dangerous as Shipman made her out to be wouldn't she be afraid of her no matter who she was with? If Nowak was a natural killer would she care who Shipman was with if she intended her real harm.
Sounds like Shipman was aiming for a medical Air Force retirement with her bad nerves and unable to do her job she was so in fear of Nowak. Give me a break. She put on a good show for the court and Air Force.
Bill Oefelein got off scott free he was stringing both women along, he is nothing more than a skirt chasing jerk. There is more to this story than meets the eye. Both Oefelein and Shipman are writing books about the whole deal. So it says on their web site, a quote says it should raise some eyebrows. Both are expecting to make money on this mess. According to the residing judge in this case Nowak isn't allowed to write a book, or appear on any media discussing the case. Court order! I don't buy Shipman's crap. Whatever Nowak did she has been punished more than most child molesters. Seems Shipman only feels safe when she is with Bill Oefelein. As the old saying goes "You can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time". Shipman stopped fooling me when she went over the top with her poor little scared me act.
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