LISA NOWAK
November 10, 2009 by Dallas Commagreens
ORLANDO, FL – The astronaut at the center of 2007′s bizarre NASA love triangle has agreed to a plea bargain.
Lisa Nowak is a former NASA astronaut who had a two-year long affair with fellow astronaut William Oefelein. Oefelein broke it off near the end of 2006, as he began to see Colleen Shipman, an engineer.
Nowak soon became obsessed with ending their relationship, to the point where she drove straight from Houston, Texas to Orlando, Florida to confront Shipman. She brought latex gloves, a wig, pepper spray, a hammer, garbage bads, a BB pistol and an 8-inch knife. Authorities said she also wore adult diapers in order to cut out any rest stop breaks, but Nowak has adamantly denied this.
Nowak found Shipman parked in the Orlando International Airpot parking lot, and slapped the window, asking for a ride. When Shipman lowered the window, Nowak sprayed pepper spray inside. Shipman quickly drove off and contacted police, who arrested Nowak trying to throw out evidence.
Although she was intially charged with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping, today Nowak entered a guilty plea to lesser charges of burglary and misemeanor battery. Her lawyer stated she suffered from major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia and “brief psychotic disorder” at the time of the crime.
She has been sentenced to a year of probation and 50 hours of community service. She must also write a letter of apology to Shipman, who was certain Nowak always intended to kill her.
