Fraternization Among Officers

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The star-crossed space cadet who allegedly made it her mission to murder the woman dating her Cape Canaveral crush helped break up his 17-year marriage, his former mother-in-law said yesterday.

Shuttle pilot Bill Oefelein's ex-wife's mom claimed yesterday that Lisa Nowak's gravitations toward the flyboy caused his marriage to crash and burn in 2005.

She said their relationship devastated his wife, Michaella, who filed for divorce.

"She broke my daughter's heart," Charlene Davis said by phone from Kona, Hawaii.

Nowak, 43, is charged with trying to kidnap and kill Oefelein's new flame, NASA worker and Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman, 30.

The real question, I think, is "Why is a Navy Commander (O-5) dating an Air Force Captain (O-3)?" This seems to be a rather flagrant violation of military codes regarding fraternization.