Former Astronaut Goes Insane for Love

By Pamela Mortimer

A court document released Tuesday reveals that Lisa Nowak, former astronaut and Navy pilot, plans to plead temporary insanity to charges filed against her for attempted kidnapping, battery, and burglary with assault.

According to reports, Nowak drove from Houston to Orlando in February, approximately 1000 miles, to confront Colleen Shipman, the girlfriend of a former space shuttle pilot with whom Nowak had been involved. Nowak, the 44 year old married mother of three, declared that she wanted to know where she stood in the relationship. The cross-country trip was so intense that Nowak used diapers to avoid taking breaks along the way.

After arriving in Florida, Nowak allegedly stalked Shipman to the Orlando airport and confronted her. Nowak pepper-sprayed Shipman as she attempted to get into her vehicle, however Shipman was able to drive away. Police soon apprehended Nowak. In a search of Nowak’s car, police found a duffel bag that contained a steel mallet, a BB gun, and a 4-inch knife.

According to court documents, defense attorney Donald Lykkebak stated that Nowak suffered from major depression, a obsessive-compulsive disorder, insomnia, and a "brief psychotic disorder with marked stressors".

"Even the most naive observer should recognize that Lisa Nowak’s behavior on February 5 was uncharacteristic and unpredicted for such an accomplished person with no criminal record or history of violence," Lykkebak said in a statement.

During Friday’s court hearing on defense motions, Nowak made a public apology to Shipman. Nowak requested that her electronic monitoring bracelet be removed, followed by another request from Nowak’s attorney, asking that the judge toss out her police interview and evidence from a search of her car. Circuit Judge Marc L. Lubet did not immediately issue a ruling, stating that he wanted more information from both sides.

"The past six months have been very difficult for me, my family and others close to me," Nowak said in a statement to reporters. "I know that it must have also been very hard for Colleen Shipman, and I would like her to know how very sorry I am about having frightened her in any way and about the subsequent public harassment that has besieged all of us."

Lykkebak wrote in his court filing that two Texas psychiatrists will be called on to testify regarding Nowak’s condition at the time of the alleged attack. In accordance with Florida state law, defendants pleading not guilty by way of temporary insanity must prove that they did not understand their actions or the resulting consequences, or didn’t know they were doing anything wrong at the time of the incident.