RSS
Home
Lisa Nowak pleads guilty in astronaut love triangle case, gets 1 year probation
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Former astronaut Lisa Nowak
The former astronaut accused of being involved in a love triangle that turned violent, pleaded guilty in an Orlando, Florida, court today to felony burglary of a car and misdemeanor battery.
Orange County Circuit Court Judge Marc L. Lubet sentenced Nowak to two days in the Orange County Jail with credit for time served and one-year probation.
Lisa Nowak, 46, agreed to the plea to avoid a trial set for next month for charges of attempted kidnapping, felony burglary with assault, and misdemeanor battery.
The Navy captain and former NASA Mission Specialist astronaut, is accused of stalking and assaulting Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman in a parking lot at the Orlando International Airport in Feb. 2007.
Authorities say Nowak drove 900 miles from Houston to Orlando wearing diapers to cut down on bathroom stops, with the purpose of confronting Shipman who had begun dating Nowak’s ex-boyfriend, former space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein.
Police say once at the airport, Nowak followed Shipman from the baggage claim to the parking lot where Nowak attempted to gain access into Shipman’s car using pepper spray and hitting the window.
Although Nowak denies she wore the diapers, police reported finding her with a BB pistol, pepper spray, latex gloves, a wig, plastic garbage bags, and a folding-knife, leading them to believe she planned to kidnap and harm Shipman.
During Nowak’s appearance in court today, a tearful Shipman said she was certain Nowak meant to kill her. "It was in her eyes, a blood-chilling expression of unlimited rage and glee," Shipman said.
The judge also ordered Nowak to stay away from Shipman and to write an apology letter to Shipman within 10 days.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
