Free Republic

A judge agreed Friday to toss much of the evidence against Nowak, a former astronaut accused of making a diaper-assisted, 1,000-mile drive to confront a woman vying for the affections of the same space shuttle pilot. Investigators took advantage of 44-year-old Lisa Nowak, who had not slept for more than 24 hours, coercing her into giving information in a lengthy arrest interview, Orange County Circuit Judge Marc L. Lubet said. Lubet granted a defense motion to throw out comments she made during the six-hour interview and items seized during a search of her BMW, including maps to alleged victim Colleen...

NASA Astronaut Lisa Nowak Collected E-mails Sent between Former Lover Bill Oefelein and His New Girlfriend: March 6, 2007 — - NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak carried printouts of romantic e-mails between her former boyfriend, space shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein, and his new girlfriend when she drove roughly 900 miles in an alleged attempt to abduct the girlfriend in early February, according to police evidence released Monday. The steamy e-mail exchanges were sent back and forth between Oefelein and Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman -- including at least one received while Oefelein was on a shuttle mission last December. The evidence...

A successful married man with young children at home pursues a romantic liaison with a co-worker. When the co-worker doesn’t sufficiently reciprocate his affections, he stalks her boyfriend for two months, and devises a plan to kill him. He collects weapons, disguises himself, packs up some garbage bags to dispose of the body, and drives 900 miles to attack his rival. He launches the assault but the boyfriend manages to escape and notify the police, and the man is arrested and charged with attempted murder. Would CBS commentator Harry Smith express sympathy for this “poor" fellow for “falling in love”...

Colleen Shipman said the protective order against the astronaut is no longer necessary. The Associated Press HOUSTON - A woman has withdrawn a request for a protective order against an astronaut charged with attacking her because she considered her a romantic rival. Colleen Shipman, 30, an Air Force captain from Florida, dropped her bid for a petition for "protection against repeat violence" Thursday, officials said Friday. Shipman said in court documents that the order against Lisa Nowak was no longer necessary. As a condition of her release from jail, Nowak was fitted with an electronic monitor on her ankle. It...