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LOCAL NEWS

Bail bondsman says Nowak 'just snapped'

06:37 PM CST on Wednesday, February 7, 2007

By Doug Miller / 11 News

Click to watch video

The astronaut who arrived in Florida disguised in a trench coat departed her hotel hiding under a jacket.

Some of the people involved in the case against her wonder why. After all, by now everyone has seen her face.

In her court appearances she stood mostly silent, showing little reaction as lawyers talked about the accusations that could lock her up for life.

But behind the scenes, people who have encountered her in the legal system say she seems stunned.

“I think she just snapped,” Nowak’s bail bondsman, John Vonachen, said.

Vonachen was among the people who escorted Nowak through the crowd of cameras and reporters awaiting her and spent hours beforehand talking with her.

He walked away with a sad impression.

“She just didn’t seem like she was there, you know. She filled out her paperwork.  She was OK for a little while, and then it would be like she would go off into another world while we were all talking,” Vonachen said of Nowak.

Vonachen said he told Nowak’s astronaut friends to keep an eye on her.  He doesn’t think she fully grasps what’s happened.

Maybe that’s why a woman with a suddenly famous face is hiding her face from the public.

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