| EJF Home | Find Help | Help the EJF | Comments? | Get EJF newsletter | Newsletters |
| Domestic Violence Book | DV Site Map | DV bibliography | DV index |
| Chapter 7 — Domestic Violence Against Men In The United States |
| Next — Stories Of Abused Men In New York |
| Back — Stories Of Abused Men In New Jersey |
Stories here are reproduced under the Fair Use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use.
Wife's sweet tone hid murder plot in Los Lunas
David Letterman's lawyers fight restraining order in Santa Fe
July 22, 1998, Los Lunas (Reuters) — Robert Sumser says he knew something was up when his wife started treating him nicely, even cooking him dinner.
But he could barely believe it when police in the northern New Mexico town of Los Lunas told him his wife, Vickie Gillmore, had offered an undercover agent $750 to have him killed.
"I knew something was up, but not murder," Sumser told television station, KOAT late Tuesday.
"She wanted me shot, to suffer? For me to die slow or what?" he asked. "That's not right. To squeal like a pig?"
Vickie Gillmore was arrested last weekend and faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy and criminal solicitation.
Mr. Sumser said he and his wife have had some rough times and that he became suspicious in the last few weeks when she started treating him well and fixing him dinner.
Police allege Ms. Gillmore had been looking for someone to kill her husband when she met an undercover detective and offered him $750 to carry out the hit, handing over a $250 down payment.
Thinking the man had carried out the hit, 33-year-old Gillmore allegedly asked if her husband had "squealed like a pig" in his final moments.
Abstracted from articles by the Associated Press and Santa Fe New Mexican
December 21, 2005 (AP) — A Santa Fe woman was granted a temporary restraining order against television talk show host David Letterman on December 15, 2005. She contends the celebrity used code words to show that he wanted to marry her and train her as his co-host.
A state judge granted the ex parte temporary restraining order to Colleen Nestler, who alleged that Letterman has forced her to go bankrupt and had inflicted "mental cruelty" and "sleep deprivation" upon her since May 1994. Nestler's application for a restraining order was accompanied by a six-page typed letter in which she said Letterman used code words, gestures, and "eye expressions" to convey his desires for her and requested that he stay at least 1 yard from her. [Copy of TRO request, TRO, and letter here (1 MB, PDF)]
Ms. Nestler wrote that she began sending Letterman "thoughts of love" after his show began in 1993, and that he responded in code words and gestures, asking her to come east. She said he asked her to be his wife during a televised "teaser" for his show by saying, "Marry me, Oprah." Her letter claimed "Oprah" was the first of many code names Mr. Letterman used for her. Her letter stated that the coded vocabulary increased and changed with time, [which no doubt it did as her delusions increased] but doesn't say why she is only now seeking a restraining order.
The temporary order required that Mr. Letterman, who tapes his show in New York, stay the standard 100 yards away from Ms. Nestler and not "think of me, and release me from his mental harassment and hammering." Ms. Nestler told the Associated Press by telephone that she had no comment pending the hearing for a permanent restraining order "and I pray to God I get it."
A motion filed December 20 th on behalf of Mr. Letterman by Albuquerque attorney Pat Rogers contends the order is without merit and asked state District Judge Daniel Sanchez to quash it. "Celebrities deserve protection of their reputation and legal rights when the occasional fan becomes dangerous or deluded." Rogers' motion to quash the order contends the court lacks jurisdiction over Letterman, that Nestler never served him with restraining order papers, and that she didn't meet other procedural requirements [and lots of luck with those claims!].
Letterman's longtime Los Angeles attorney, Jim Jackoway, said Colleen Nestler's claims were "obviously absurd and frivolous...This constitutes an unfortunate [but far too common] abuse of the judicial process."
Judge Sanchez set a January 12, 2006, hearing on the permanent order but on December 27 th lifted the restraining order at the request Letterman's lawyers who contended the order was without merit.
Further, the New Mexico court doesn't have jurisdiction over Letterman, who is a resident of Connecticut, attorney Pat Rogers said [although that has never stopped a judge in our experience].
Colleen Nestler appeared in court on December 27, 2005, without a lawyer and represented herself. Responding to a question from the judge, Ms. Nestler said she had no proof of the allegations she had made against Letterman. She also said that if Letterman or any of his representatives came near her, "I will break their legs" and establish proof of her allegations.
Ms. Nestler said after the court hearing that "I have achieved my purpose. The public knows that this man cannot come near me." She also said that her comment about breaking legs "is not a threat."
"I appealed to the court for a restraining order to keep this man away from me, but now that's been denied me," she said. "He has access to me. He can actually come for me or send people. He has many accomplices. I know this sounds crazy. I was crazy to have listened to him in the beginning."
[The Equal Justice Foundation has frequently pointed out that the crazier a woman is the better "victim" she makes for the domestic violence industry. Further deponent sayeth nought.]
| EJF Home | Find Help | Help the EJF | Comments? | Get EJF newsletter | Newsletters |
| Domestic Violence Book | DV Site Map | DV bibliography | DV index |
| Chapter 7 — Domestic Violence Against Men In The United States |
| Next — Stories Of Abused Men In New York |
| Back — Stories Of Abused Men In New Jersey |
This site is supported and maintained by the Equal Justice Foundation.