Astronauts untriumphant return to Houston

Houston Chronicle:

Lisa Nowak's last Houston homecoming was a celebrated affair, an occasion full of fanfare befitting a member of the crew that helped restore America's confidence in the space shuttle after the Columbia disaster.

Her expected return home today could not promise a sharper contrast. Bearing an electronic monitoring bracelet and a heavy cloak of shame, Nowak will be confronted by reporters and cameras pursuing a different story: allegations that she sped cross-country in an attempt to kill a woman who was interfering with her affections for a fellow astronaut.

Nowak was released Tuesday from Orlando County Jail after posting a bond of $25,500, set by Orange County Judge Mike Murphy at an afternoon hearing despite prosecutors' request that she be held without bail.

She spent another two hours in her bail bondsman's office being fitted for the ankle monitor, then headed to an Orlando hotel with astronauts Steve Lindsey and Chris Ferguson at her side. She pulled a coat over her head as she left, trying to escape the media cameras that had been part of her previous life as a space hero.

During the day and a half she spent in jail, Nowak became a tabloid topic on talk shows, newspapers and Web sites across the nation. Details of her alleged late-night pepper spray assault on Colleen Shipman — complete with an inventory of weapons, disguises, and items potentially to be used in a kidnapping or worse — instantly transformed her image from All American icon with a sparkling résumé to unhinged loser in a tawdry love match.

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The family acknowledged that Nowak and her husband of 19 years, Richard, had separated several weeks ago, but stressed that she was still a devoted mother to her three children.

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Nowak made her second appearance of the day before Murphy at 4 p.m., this time charged with a crime classified as a "life felony" in Florida. Nowak stood all but immobile, eyes fixed forward, as attorney Donald Lykkebak accused police of trying to take a "second bite of the apple" because they were frustrated Nowak was granted bail at the first hearing.

"What she did was spray her (Colleen Shipman) with pepper spray — no more," Lykkebak said. "That is what is alleged."

He called his client a desperate woman who just wanted to have a conversation with "the other woman."

"She didn't shoot her, didn't stab her," Lykkebak said.

Prosecutor Amanda Cowan countered that Nowak had in her black duffle bag a steel mallet, a knife and a BB gun. She parked her car at a hotel miles away from the airport and the satellite parking lot where the confrontation occurred, she said.

"By inference, we think her plan was to get into the victim's car with the victim," Cowan said. "We think this adds credibility to the charge of murder."

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The prosecutor in this case appears as unhinged as Capt. Nowak. To suggest that because she had legal tools with her that she had an intent to kill is ridiculous. That is like adding a prostitution charge because she is equipped for that crime too. While her conduct could be described as a little spooky, her only overt hostile act was to use a non lethal pepper spray through a window. That is not a life threatening act, but it is worthy of a misdemeanor assault charge. The only motive they have discovered is that she wanted to talk with the victim of that assault.

Clearly she has embarrassed herself and her family with her conduct as well as the other two parties to what ever was going on and their families. At this point it looks like the DA is just piling on and pulling a Nifong unless she has other evidence that was not presented to the judge. There was a time when celebrities could get away with more than most folks.

It appears that we have reached a point where their screw ups can be escalated to major felonies which bring attention to otherwise unnoticeable prosecutors. We have seen this in the case brought against Rush Limbaugh by another Florida prosecutor and by the infamous Ronnie Earle in Austin who has been harassing Tom DeLay. And then there is Mike Nifong who has attempted to ruin the lives of some Lacrosse players on the basis of questionable evidence.

Fox News has more details on events surrounding the case.