Crimes of passion

Shelly Beraza
Social Media and Web Manager

While passion in a relationship can be a wonderful thing, it can also cause humans to commit atrocious crimes in the name of love. Here, in no particular order, are just a few (warning: some stories contain graphic situations):

 John and Lorena Bobbitt: On June 23, 1993, in the middle of the  night, Lorena Bobbitt took a knife from her kitchen block and cut off her  husband John’s penis. She then took a drive and threw it out her car  window. Once she realized the gravity of the situation, she called 911. A  search took place and after his appendage was found, it was brought to  the hospital, and reattached after a nine-hour operation.

Lorena was arrested and taken into custody. During the trial, Lorena  stated that John had sexually abused her as well as flaunted his own  infidelity in the relationship. This was what exacerbated the situation.

Lorena spent 45 days in a mental institution and went on to live a low-key normal life. John moved on and made a short career in the porn industry.

 Steve McNair and Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi: On July 4, 2009, Baltimore Raven’s  quarterback, Steve McNair was found dead of multiple gun shot wounds. Also found  dead in the apartment was 20-year-old Sahel “Jenni” Kazemi. McNair was married at  the time to Mechelle McNair but was having an affair with Kazemi. The Nashville  police concluded that it was a murder-suicide with McNair being the victim. Kazemi  stated the day before the murder that she thought McNair was having another  extramarital affair and the stress of her financial issues were weighing heavily on her.

 “The Long Island Lolita” Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafuoco: On  May 19, 1992,  Amy Fisher, 17 had a friend drive her to the home of Joey  Buttafuoco, with whom she was having an affair. When Buttafuoco’s wife  Mary Jo answered the door, Fisher told her he was having an affair with  her younger sister. She then handed Mary a shirt from his company as  proof. When Mary turned away, Fisher raised a gun and shot her once in  the head.

Fisher was arrested, charged with first-degree assault and sentenced to  five to 15 years in prison. Fisher served seven years and was released on  parole. After her release she became a columnist, wrote several books, got married, had three children and dabbled in the porn industry.

Joey Buttafuoco was charged with statutory rape of a minor. He pled guilty and served six months in prison.

Mary Jo Buttafuoco, after many reconstructive surgeries, recovered, divorced Joey and wrote a book about it.

 Phil and Brynn Hartman: On May 27, 1998, Brynn Hartman fatally  shot her husband Phil while he slept. Hartman drove to her neighbors  and confessed her crime. The neighbor followed her to her home and  found Phil. The neighbor escorted her two children from the home.  During this time Hartman locked herself in an upstairs bathroom and  shot herself. Friends and close family said they had marital problems and  Brynn had a cocaine addiction, which she was tested positive for the night  of the incident.

Phil Hartman’s death was mourned far and wide, as a prevalent cast member on Saturday Night Live, he was well known and loved.

 Lisa Nowak: Between the nights of  Feb. 4-5, 2007 Lisa Nowak, an astronaut for  NASA, drove to the Orlando International Airport with a kill kit, which included:  latex gloves, a black wig, a BB pistol, ammunition, pepper spray, a trench coat, a 2  pound drilling hammer, rubber tubing and plastic garbage bags. Nowak had a two  year affair with William Oefelein. When he broke off the affair and got involved with  Colleen Shipman, an engineer, Nowak was infuriated.

Nowak waited for an hour at the airport where Shipman was coming in on a plane  from Houston. Nowak attempted to smash through Shipman’s car window and spray  her with the pepper spray. Shipman drove off and contacted Orlando police.

The first officer on the scene witnessed Nowak throwing away a black bag into a  trash bin.

Nowak was arrested on charges of attempted kidnapping, battery, attempted vehicle burglary with battery and destruction of evidence. Before being released on bail, Nowak was also charged with attempted murder with a deadly weapon.

Nowak ended up pleading guilty to a lesser charge after the attempted murder charge was dropped and was sentenced to a year of probation.

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