Posted on 07/19/2002 9:08:33 AM PDT by marshmallow
Ray Vogt had a romantic evening planned for his girlfriend: a warm bath, candles and soft music. The only problem, police said Thursday, was that he tried to electrocute the woman in the bathtub.
But much to Janice Christie's good fortune, the couple's bathroom was equipped with a circuit-breaking device that shut down the electric current when Vogt allegedly tossed a radio and hair dryer into the tub that she was in.
When Vogt's shock attack didn't work, police said, the 42-year-old Vogt chased Christie through their Georgetown Court apartment, grabbing her around the neck. Christie managed to break free and called 911.
At that point, police said, Vogt stopped the attack, walked outside and sat down to wait for officers.
He now faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder and is being held without bail in Albany County jail pending a psychiatric examination and further court action.
Police spokesman Detective James Miller said Vogt gave a statement to Detective Sean Burke admitting he intended to electrocute his longtime live-in girlfriend Christie, 43.
"We're not sure of a motive," Miller said. "He's apparently been depressed, that might be it. But he wasn't on medication and there was no alcohol involvement."
He said there is no record of police responding to domestic disputes at the couple's home and Christie was unable to offer a possible reason for the attack.
"There was such a range of emotions here," Miller said, pointing out that early in the evening, Vogt had drawn the bath and lit the candles.
"Then he tries to electrocute her, then tries to choke her. When she called 911, he changed again and simply waited for police to come. Obviously, there's some type of mental instability at work here."
Miller said police were told by an electrician that dropping either the radio or hair dryer into the tub could have killed the woman if not for the ground fault interrupter in the electric socket. Those devices, required under building codes for bathrooms, sense any change in electric current and shut down the circuit before injury or death can occur.
Christie was treated at the scene by paramedics and then at St. Peter's Hospital for bruising and abrasions around her neck.
I know when I’ve got a case of the blues, nothing puts a spring back in my step like trying to murder Ms. _Eagle.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
I'm all for GFI's, but even without a GFI this is extremely unlikely to have killed, or even injured her. The hazard from electrical appliances and water is a current passing from the appliance through your body and to ground through the water and pipes. This occurs when a person in contact with a faulty (or wet) appliance contacts water in contact with plumbing. If you are sitting in the bathtub and someone tosses in a radio, the current will flow to ground without passing through you. Grasping the appliance will create a hazard and is the worst thing you can do.
I remember an otherwise unmemorable made-for-TV movie with Terri Garr fighting off just such an attack by a Martin Mull character. She and he wrestle with the radio while she stands in a robe in a wet tub. This is the worst thing she could do. It would be far safer to let the damn thing fall into tub.
Christie: Raymond ! What is it ? What are you trying to say ?
Christie : ( Aside ) He gets kinda kinky sometimes !
Raymond : ( Face is contorted with frustration and rage ) ARRRGHHH !!!!!
Christie : (Grins, impishly )I told you he gets kinda kinky ! Now he wants to chase me around the house.
Raymond: ( Screams, begins tearing at his hair, and runs out of the room, slamming door behind him.) YAA-AAHHHHH!!!
Christie: Isn't that just like a man ! They have such trouble committing !!!
Lights up, Curtain , Intermission
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