CYBER CHEATING - A growing cause for Divorce

Cyber-cheating a growing cause of divorce;
online surveillance increases as result.
By Jeffrey Cottrill

Not only has the Internet made it easy to meet other people without leaving your own home, it has also provided spouses with a new instrument for starting (and carrying out) extramarital affairs. Whether the perpetrators are unhappy in their marriages, bored with their married sex lives, or merely flirting, "cyber-cheating" is now a common element in cases of marital breakdown.

"It can happen in three or four different ways," explains Dallas attorney Mike McCurley, a past-president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), who says that cyber-affairs are increasingly a cause of divorce.

"First, spouses can develop relationships with somebody they already know from work or somewhere else. It's easy to communicate with someone secretively on the computer, as opposed to on the phone.

Secondly, people actually meet through the web and form relationships that way.

Third, there's the pornography area, which has every kind of invitation you could imagine."

Chicago lawyer Paul Feinstein, also an AAML member, says he hasn't yet seen many cases involving cyber-affairs, but the new phenomenon doesn't surprise him. "The Internet provides one more diversion -- something people can do separately from their spouses," he says. "But is it a cause of marital breakdown or is it a symptom? That's the age-old debate."

As a result, many websites now sell electronic surveillance software designed to catch spouses who cheat "virtually". For example, Infidelity.com offers a program that secretly sends you a copy of every e-mail your spouse sends. Software available from other sites allows you to track each website and chatroom your spouse visits. Some programs even record every key stroke in real time.

"The benefit is that you can monitor their sites and e-mails," says Anthony DeLorenzo, the founder of Infidelity.com and a former private investigator specializing in extramarital affairs. "I don't see any drawbacks. We send them the software, and if they find out that their spouse is meeting the other person somewhere, they can follow and possibly videotape them."

The market for this kind of software is not happily married couples: if you've reached the stage where you feel the need to spy on your spouse, you know your relationship is in serious trouble.

"There are very few instances where 'spying' can improve a relationship," admits John LaSage, who founded ChatCheaters.com after his wife of 23 years left him for a man in New Zealand that she'd met on the web. "But surveillance products could be useful as a last resort, after all other options have been exhausted. For some, it can be difficult to believe what their heart and brain is telling them about the person that they've trusted the most. Right or wrong, they want physical proof." Many people feel more comfortable handling the situation by themselves than approaching a P.I., adds LaSage. "Infidelity can be a private issue they won't even discuss with friends or family."

However, because of the obvious privacy issues, the legality of surveillance software is highly questionable.

"The laws concerning this aren't yet fully determined," says McCurley, "but my best advice is: 'don't do that.' It's a risk you don't want to take -- whether through a computer or a telephone. There are many legal ways to find out whether your spouse is cheating that involve using a private investigator or an attorney. There are federal and state laws concerning eavesdropping and wiretapping."

Feinstein agrees.

"In about 90% of cases, cyber-cheating really doesn't matter, because fault is deemed irrelevant in most states anyway," he adds. "In some cases, I've received some intercepted e-mails with varying relevance; how the clients got them is beyond me."

Both DeLorenzo and LaSage agree that, with or without do-it-yourself surveillance, the best way to handle cyber-adultery is to confront your spouse directly. "If your spouse is cheating, there's obviously a problem with the marriage," says DeLorenzo. "You need to confront the person about it, and then either go to therapy to get help or to an attorney to get a divorce. There's no middle ground here."

LaSage says that many web affairs grow unexpectedly out of innocent surfing and chatting. "In many cases, people do not set out on the Internet intending to cheat. They start out thinking it's okay to do a little flirting because they feel they're in control of the relationship. They can remain anonymous, they can stop the communication anytime they choose, and they believe, as I have heard countless times on my website, 'it's not cheating if there's no touching.'

"The most important recommendation I can give is to not ignore the issue," LaSage adds. "It seems a natural response for people discovering an affair to deny what they're feeling."

Man Stalking His Wife Online - Now in Jail

A 27-year-old New York man is facing federal charges he stalked his wife at her parents' Maine home by sending her a series of threatening text messages and comments that were posted on a social networking site.

Jason Fiume of Utica, N.Y., pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he violated a protection order.

A trial has been set for February 2011.

Court documents say that in June, his estranged wife and her family in Kennebec County began receiving what are described in court documents as "nonstop" phone calls from Fiume. He is also alleged to have sent almost 100 electronic messages.

The Bangor Daily News says that in some of those messages he allegedly threatened to kill his wife.

Fiume is being held without bail.

original article here

Man Stalking His Wife Online - Now in Jail

A 27-year-old New York man is facing federal charges he stalked his wife at her parents' Maine home by sending her a series of threatening text messages and comments that were posted on a social networking site.

Jason Fiume of Utica, N.Y., pleaded not guilty Monday to charges that he violated a protection order.

A trial has been set for February 2011.

Court documents say that in June, his estranged wife and her family in Kennebec County began receiving what are described in court documents as "nonstop" phone calls from Fiume. He is also alleged to have sent almost 100 electronic messages.

The Bangor Daily News says that in some of those messages he allegedly threatened to kill his wife.

Fiume is being held without bail.

original article here

Ex-Wife Murdered Over Facebook Posts

A chef has been jailed for life for murdering his ex-wife after she taunted him on Facebook about paying child support.

Adam Mann used a hammer to batter Lisa Beverley, 30, before slashing her neck with a knife, the Old Bailey was told.

Jurors heard Miss Beverley's five-year-old son found her body at their home in Plumstead in south-east London, on the day after the murder in September 2009.

Mann, 29, of Welling, Kent, will have to serve a minimum of 24 years.

'Unimaginable horror'
During the trial the court was told Miss Beverley had no chance of surviving after being hit on the face, head, neck and body.

Jeremy Donne QC, prosecuting, said Miss Beverley's five-year-old son was confronted with a scene of "unimaginable horror" when he found her the next day.

The court heard the couple divorced in 2007 and were involved in a bitter dispute.

Miss Beverley was trying to get Mann to contribute towards raising their son, through the Child Support Agency (CSA). She told the CSA he had lied about being unemployed and he had subsequently been sent a letter demanding payments of about £400.

The day before her death, Miss Beverley's Facebook profile was updated to say: "Now whose laughing? U've got done big time by the CS, so now leave us alone for good, your son hates u and so do I."

Judge Paul Worsley told Mann: "This was a truly dreadful killing."

The judge said Mann had earlier that day been arguing with the CSA.

"You desperately tried to avoid responsibility for your son. I have no doubt you wanted to remove any further claim by removing Lisa Beverley," said the judge. "You have shown no flicker of remorse. I reject the suggestion that there was any degree of provocation."

The court heard the couple divorced in 2007 and were involved in a bitter dispute.

Det Insp Brian Mather, who investigated the murder, said: "This was a dreadful and tragic case and one cannot imagine how Lisa's young son must have felt finding his mother dead under such horrendous circumstances.

"The actions of Mann are indescribable, that he could murder the mother of his son and leave him to discover her body."

Ex-Wife Murdered Over Facebook Posts

A chef has been jailed for life for murdering his ex-wife after she taunted him on Facebook about paying child support.

Adam Mann used a hammer to batter Lisa Beverley, 30, before slashing her neck with a knife, the Old Bailey was told.

Jurors heard Miss Beverley's five-year-old son found her body at their home in Plumstead in south-east London, on the day after the murder in September 2009.

Mann, 29, of Welling, Kent, will have to serve a minimum of 24 years.

'Unimaginable horror'
During the trial the court was told Miss Beverley had no chance of surviving after being hit on the face, head, neck and body.

Jeremy Donne QC, prosecuting, said Miss Beverley's five-year-old son was confronted with a scene of "unimaginable horror" when he found her the next day.

The court heard the couple divorced in 2007 and were involved in a bitter dispute.

Miss Beverley was trying to get Mann to contribute towards raising their son, through the Child Support Agency (CSA). She told the CSA he had lied about being unemployed and he had subsequently been sent a letter demanding payments of about £400.

The day before her death, Miss Beverley's Facebook profile was updated to say: "Now whose laughing? U've got done big time by the CS, so now leave us alone for good, your son hates u and so do I."

Judge Paul Worsley told Mann: "This was a truly dreadful killing."

The judge said Mann had earlier that day been arguing with the CSA.

"You desperately tried to avoid responsibility for your son. I have no doubt you wanted to remove any further claim by removing Lisa Beverley," said the judge. "You have shown no flicker of remorse. I reject the suggestion that there was any degree of provocation."

The court heard the couple divorced in 2007 and were involved in a bitter dispute.

Det Insp Brian Mather, who investigated the murder, said: "This was a dreadful and tragic case and one cannot imagine how Lisa's young son must have felt finding his mother dead under such horrendous circumstances.

"The actions of Mann are indescribable, that he could murder the mother of his son and leave him to discover her body."

Attorneys Catching Cheaters on Facebook

by Stephanie Chen - CNN

Before the explosion of social media, Ken Altshuler, a divorce lawyer in Maine, dug up dirt on his client’s spouses the old-fashioned way: with private investigators and subpoenas. Now the first place his team checks for evidence is Facebook.

Consider a recent story of a female client in her 30s, who came to Altshuler seeking a divorce from husband. She claimed her husband, an alcoholic, was drinking again. The husband denied it. It was her word against his word, Altshuler says, until a mutual friend of the couple stumbled across Facebook photos of the husband drinking beer at a party a few weeks earlier.

It was the kind of “gotcha moment” Altshuler knew would undermine the husband’s credibility in court. His firm presented the photos to the judge, and the wife won the case in April, he said.

“Facebook is a great source of evidence,” Altshuler said. “It’s absolutely solid evidence because he’s the author of it. How do you deny that you put that on?”

Social media stalking skills have become invaluable to the legal world for divorce cases in particular. Online photo albums, profile pages, wall comments, status updates and tweets have become gold mines for evidence and leads. Today, divorce and family law firms routinely cull information posted on social media sites — the flirty exchanges with a paramour, unsavory self-revelations and compromising photographs — to buttress their case.

original article here

Attorneys Catching Cheaters on Facebook

by Stephanie Chen - CNN

Before the explosion of social media, Ken Altshuler, a divorce lawyer in Maine, dug up dirt on his client’s spouses the old-fashioned way: with private investigators and subpoenas. Now the first place his team checks for evidence is Facebook.

Consider a recent story of a female client in her 30s, who came to Altshuler seeking a divorce from husband. She claimed her husband, an alcoholic, was drinking again. The husband denied it. It was her word against his word, Altshuler says, until a mutual friend of the couple stumbled across Facebook photos of the husband drinking beer at a party a few weeks earlier.

It was the kind of “gotcha moment” Altshuler knew would undermine the husband’s credibility in court. His firm presented the photos to the judge, and the wife won the case in April, he said.

“Facebook is a great source of evidence,” Altshuler said. “It’s absolutely solid evidence because he’s the author of it. How do you deny that you put that on?”

Social media stalking skills have become invaluable to the legal world for divorce cases in particular. Online photo albums, profile pages, wall comments, status updates and tweets have become gold mines for evidence and leads. Today, divorce and family law firms routinely cull information posted on social media sites — the flirty exchanges with a paramour, unsavory self-revelations and compromising photographs — to buttress their case.

original article here

Facebook em'!

By DAREH GREGORIAN

More people are cheating on their spouses using Facebook -- and more divorce lawyers are returning to the scene of the crime for evidence.

A whopping 81 percent of matrimonial lawyers say that in the past five years they've seen a massive spike in the use of social-networking information as evidence of infidelity, a new poll shows.

The most widely used cyber-evidence -- including messages to lovers and incriminating photos -- is found on Facebook, the survey from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers reveals.

"Every client I've seen in the last six months had a Facebook page," said the group's vice-president, Ken Altshuler, "and the first piece of advice I give them is to terminate their page immediately."

Sixty-six percent of those surveyed said they'd used Facebook postings as evidence, with 15 percent from MySpace and 5 percent from Twitter.

Altshuler said he's had three cases in the past six months where Facebook postings were a key piece of evidence.

In one case, he was representing a woman getting divorced from her alcoholic husband and also seeking custody of their kids. The man had told the judge he had found God and hadn't had a drink in months.

"It was all the stuff you're supposed to say," Altshuler said.

The claim was exposed as bogus thanks to Facebook pictures of the man partying at a friend's house three weeks before the court hearing.

"The friend had a picture of him holding a beer in each hand with a joint in his mouth," Altshuler said, leading the judge to question the man's credibility.

"If you have your picture taken, you never know where it's going to wind up," Altshuler said.

He also cited another recent custody case where his client's ex-wife had claimed she was engaged and set to be married in a bid to show how stable her household was.

That was called into question by the woman's Facebook posting where she wrote "she'd broken up with her abusive boyfriend and that if anybody had a rich friend to let her know," Altshuler said.

He said the posting was given to his client by a friend of the ex-husband who was still Facebook friends with the ex-wife.

"People don't think about who has access to their Facebook page," Altshuler said, and faux Facebook friends will usually sell out a true pal's spouse.

"It's often the third party who's the source of information," he said.

"Don't do anything because you don't know who's looking. A good attorney can have a field day with this information."

original article here

Facebook em'!

By DAREH GREGORIAN

More people are cheating on their spouses using Facebook -- and more divorce lawyers are returning to the scene of the crime for evidence.

A whopping 81 percent of matrimonial lawyers say that in the past five years they've seen a massive spike in the use of social-networking information as evidence of infidelity, a new poll shows.

The most widely used cyber-evidence -- including messages to lovers and incriminating photos -- is found on Facebook, the survey from the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers reveals.

"Every client I've seen in the last six months had a Facebook page," said the group's vice-president, Ken Altshuler, "and the first piece of advice I give them is to terminate their page immediately."

Sixty-six percent of those surveyed said they'd used Facebook postings as evidence, with 15 percent from MySpace and 5 percent from Twitter.

Altshuler said he's had three cases in the past six months where Facebook postings were a key piece of evidence.

In one case, he was representing a woman getting divorced from her alcoholic husband and also seeking custody of their kids. The man had told the judge he had found God and hadn't had a drink in months.

"It was all the stuff you're supposed to say," Altshuler said.

The claim was exposed as bogus thanks to Facebook pictures of the man partying at a friend's house three weeks before the court hearing.

"The friend had a picture of him holding a beer in each hand with a joint in his mouth," Altshuler said, leading the judge to question the man's credibility.

"If you have your picture taken, you never know where it's going to wind up," Altshuler said.

He also cited another recent custody case where his client's ex-wife had claimed she was engaged and set to be married in a bid to show how stable her household was.

That was called into question by the woman's Facebook posting where she wrote "she'd broken up with her abusive boyfriend and that if anybody had a rich friend to let her know," Altshuler said.

He said the posting was given to his client by a friend of the ex-husband who was still Facebook friends with the ex-wife.

"People don't think about who has access to their Facebook page," Altshuler said, and faux Facebook friends will usually sell out a true pal's spouse.

"It's often the third party who's the source of information," he said.

"Don't do anything because you don't know who's looking. A good attorney can have a field day with this information."

original article here

Update: DARREN ROY MACK - Sentenced to Life in Prison

Mack Gets Life Term for Killing Wife

A former pawn shop owner was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the killing of his estranged wife and shooting of the judge who handled their bitter divorce.

Darren Mack, 46, will be eligible for parole after 36 years. Mack pleaded guilty in November to first-degree murder in the June 2006 stabbing death of his wife, Charla, and entered an Alford plea to a charge of attempted murder of Washoe Family Court Judge Chuck Weller.

Mack admitted in court that he shot Weller through a courthouse window the day he killed his wife but invoked the Alford plea, in which a defendant acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt. Weller has recovered from his wounds.

District Judge Douglas Herndon followed the recommendations of a plea deal by sentencing Mack to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years on the murder charge.

The judge upheld the recommendation of Special Prosecutor Christopher Lalli by sentencing Mack to 40 years with parole possible after 16 years for attempted murder with a deadly weapon.

The terms are to run consecutively.

In handing down the sentence, Herndon cited the heinous nature of the crimes and Mack's lack of remorse.

"The truth is Mr. Mack is guilty of these crimes, but he doesn't want to hear anything about that," the judge said.

Mack on Thursday reiterated claims that he acted in self defense when he slashed his wife's throat in the garage of his southeast Reno townhouse.

He also has argued that he was coerced by his former lawyers into the plea deal, and suggested the attorneys, prosecutors, investigators and law enforcement officers who investigated the case were corrupt.

Herndon said while he allowed Mack to go on at length, he never said what the judge hoped he'd hear: "I'm sorry."

48 Hours Reviews the Darren Mack Case (click here)


EOPC on the original story in 2006:

ALERT! DARREN ROY MACK
Online Dater, Alleged Murderer and Sniper Shooter

Reno police are investigating Internet dating sites that murder fugitive Darren Roy Mack used to contact and communicate with women. (Mack was well know to live a "swinger" life style and visit swinger-resorts for vacations; without his wife)

"There is a potential that Mr. Mack could contact and meet with someone related to a past contact," said Lt. Ron Donnelly.

Anyone Mack may have contacted via an online dating site should contact police.

Mack, 45, was charged Tuesday in a warrant with the stabbing death of his estranged wife, Charla, 39. Police also accuse Mack of setting up on a downtown building and firing a sniper shot into the chambers of Family Court Judge Chuck Weller, hitting him in the chest.

For several years Mack has been an owner of Palace Jewelry and Loan pawn shop, which has an inventory that includes firearms.

Police say Mack has a federal firearms license, and a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Both will be suspended due to his fugitive status, but police believe he has access to any type of firearm.

Mack owns and has access to a Bushmaster .223 semi-automatic rifle, which police believe was used in the sniper shooting. This weapon has not been accounted for and may be in his possession.

Mack's Silver Colored Ford Explorer with California License Plates 5POR272 has still not been located, and is listed nationally on a law enforcement fugitive database.

~~~~
At a 9 a.m. press conference, Reno police announced the murder victim found at the Fleur de Lis gated community on Wilbur May Parkway has been identified as 39-year old Charla Mack, Darren Mack's estranged wife.

The 53-year-old Judge Weller continues to recover at Washoe Medical Center in Reno. Reno police say Weller is in good condition. Police said he was alert and had spoken with his family following the shooting.

Police say suspected killer Darren Mack is still at large. He is wanted for homicide after the discovery of his wife's body at the Fleur de Lis gated community, and is a suspect in the shooting of Judge Weller.

A Chaotic Scene

The events began Monday morning at 11:15, when police received reports of shots fired in the area of the newly-opened Mills B. Lane Justice Center on High Street. A News 4 crew was in the area and witnessed a chaotic scene as people ran from the building and frantically made calls on their cell phones.

"I hid behind a pillar and everything was starting to go crazy all over the place," an unidentified witness told News 4. "Cops were running all over the place."

"We were walking downtown near the building and we heard a gun," said Raya Pyles. "We all just ducked."

Craig Compton told News 4 he heard two gunshots followed by chaos inside the Justice Center.

"We were getting in an elevator, and people started scattering up there on the third floor," Compton said. "A deputy got in front of us and somebody said 'someone got shot. We heard a pop.'"

Washoe County Undersheriff Mike Haley said Reno Family Court Judge Chuck Weller was standing near a window on the third floor when he was shot in the torso. An aide, Annie Allison of Reno, was injured by flying glass.

"We're certain the shot came from outside," Haley said. "We can't speculate now where it came from. We have to establish the height of the window. It could have come from a variety of locations to the north."

One witness reported seeing an armed man in a nearby parking garage at the time of the shooting. Authorities are still investigating the structure.

Dozens of people were evacuated from the Justice Center as police charged into the building. Others were locked down for more than five hours. Streets surrounding the Justice Center did not reopen until late Monday night.

Police Investigate Related Murder
Just hours after the shooting, detectives responded to the Fleur de Lis community in south Reno on a report of a person found dead. The body was found in the garage of one of the townhomes.

The Press reports the home where the body was found is the residence of 39-year-old Charla Mack, the estranged wife of Darren Mack.

Following notification of family, police have confirmed the body was indeed that of Charla Mack.

Police say Darren and Charla Mack were to appear before Judge Weller September 8 as part of their pending divorce case.

Court documents obtained by News 4 show Darren Mack and his wife had been in and out of court several times since February 2005 as part of their divorce proceedings. At stake was custody of the couple's three children, and more than $10,000 a month in child and spousal support. Records also show Charla Mack's attorney had filed a motion to hold Darren Mack in contempt of court and asked that he be ordered to comply with child support requirements.

Darren Mack owns Palace Jewelry and Loan in Reno. Records show Mack had just declared bankruptcy. An employee at the business declined comment Monday.

Mack had a profile for his family on his eBay Web site, which was taken down late Monday. The Web page contained photos of Mack and his family, and information on his business. Before the site was removed, it contained this statement:

"My name is Darren Mack, and I am the third generation owner of a small business in Reno, Nevada. My family has owned and operated small businesses in Nevada for 45years. I am proud of the fact that I am able to carry on the legacy left to me by my parents and grandparents. I've been around jewelry and diamonds since my dad brought me down to the store when I was 7 years old. I have a personal commitment to excellence in any endeavor I take on. I am bringing to eBay a business ethic which is unshakeable. I deal fairly, with concern to the needs of my customers, and always with integrity. And, as you can see, I am married to a lovely young lady and have three beautiful children."

Search Delays Flights at Airport
The intensive manhunt for Darren Mack caused delays at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport Monday night. At 8:30, police received a report of a possible sighting of Mack at the airport. They shut down the parking garage and underwent a car-by-car search. Heavily-armed officers could be seen questioning drivers and passengers with guns ready. Airport spokesman Brian Kulpin said Federal agents and airport police also searched flights that had not yet taken off from the airport.

"Flights were held for some time this evening, just to make sure this suspect somehow didn't make it past security checkpoints," Kulpin said. "There are a lot of procedures put in place so that doesn't happen. But in a case with this profile, we wanted to make sure we're covering all the airport... So we did hold flights at gates. There were even some aircraft that came back to gates and were searched."

Kulpin said no arrests were made at the airport Monday night. He said all airport security personnel had been given fliers with Mack's photo and description, and were asked to keep an eye out for him.

Mike Simpson, a Southwest Airlines passenger, told News 4 police quickly escorted everyone off of his flight, which had just landed.

"People immediately got on their cell phones," Simpson said. "I was one of them. We all wanted to know - I called a friend of mine who works for a radio station to see if he knew anything, and pretty much everybody said it was all word of mouth - 'They got the sniper' and all that kind of an aspect."

Earlier, the search for Mack led Sheriff's deputies to surround a home on Chipmunk Avenue in Washoe Valley. Authorities had received a tip Mack may be inside the home. Deputies searched the house but did not find Mack.

Forty-five-year-old Darren Mack is white with brown hair and brown eyes. He is five feet, eleven inches tall and between 190 and 220 pounds. He may be driving a silver Ford SUV, possibly an Explorer.

Police say he is to be considered armed and dangerous.

http://www.amw.com

Update: DARREN ROY MACK - Sentenced to Life in Prison

Mack Gets Life Term for Killing Wife

A former pawn shop owner was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the killing of his estranged wife and shooting of the judge who handled their bitter divorce.

Darren Mack, 46, will be eligible for parole after 36 years. Mack pleaded guilty in November to first-degree murder in the June 2006 stabbing death of his wife, Charla, and entered an Alford plea to a charge of attempted murder of Washoe Family Court Judge Chuck Weller.

Mack admitted in court that he shot Weller through a courthouse window the day he killed his wife but invoked the Alford plea, in which a defendant acknowledges there is enough evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt. Weller has recovered from his wounds.

District Judge Douglas Herndon followed the recommendations of a plea deal by sentencing Mack to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years on the murder charge.

The judge upheld the recommendation of Special Prosecutor Christopher Lalli by sentencing Mack to 40 years with parole possible after 16 years for attempted murder with a deadly weapon.

The terms are to run consecutively.

In handing down the sentence, Herndon cited the heinous nature of the crimes and Mack's lack of remorse.

"The truth is Mr. Mack is guilty of these crimes, but he doesn't want to hear anything about that," the judge said.

Mack on Thursday reiterated claims that he acted in self defense when he slashed his wife's throat in the garage of his southeast Reno townhouse.

He also has argued that he was coerced by his former lawyers into the plea deal, and suggested the attorneys, prosecutors, investigators and law enforcement officers who investigated the case were corrupt.

Herndon said while he allowed Mack to go on at length, he never said what the judge hoped he'd hear: "I'm sorry."

48 Hours Reviews the Darren Mack Case (click here)


EOPC on the original story in 2006:

ALERT! DARREN ROY MACK
Online Dater, Alleged Murderer and Sniper Shooter

Reno police are investigating Internet dating sites that murder fugitive Darren Roy Mack used to contact and communicate with women. (Mack was well know to live a "swinger" life style and visit swinger-resorts for vacations; without his wife)

"There is a potential that Mr. Mack could contact and meet with someone related to a past contact," said Lt. Ron Donnelly.

Anyone Mack may have contacted via an online dating site should contact police.

Mack, 45, was charged Tuesday in a warrant with the stabbing death of his estranged wife, Charla, 39. Police also accuse Mack of setting up on a downtown building and firing a sniper shot into the chambers of Family Court Judge Chuck Weller, hitting him in the chest.

For several years Mack has been an owner of Palace Jewelry and Loan pawn shop, which has an inventory that includes firearms.

Police say Mack has a federal firearms license, and a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Both will be suspended due to his fugitive status, but police believe he has access to any type of firearm.

Mack owns and has access to a Bushmaster .223 semi-automatic rifle, which police believe was used in the sniper shooting. This weapon has not been accounted for and may be in his possession.

Mack's Silver Colored Ford Explorer with California License Plates 5POR272 has still not been located, and is listed nationally on a law enforcement fugitive database.

~~~~
At a 9 a.m. press conference, Reno police announced the murder victim found at the Fleur de Lis gated community on Wilbur May Parkway has been identified as 39-year old Charla Mack, Darren Mack's estranged wife.

The 53-year-old Judge Weller continues to recover at Washoe Medical Center in Reno. Reno police say Weller is in good condition. Police said he was alert and had spoken with his family following the shooting.

Police say suspected killer Darren Mack is still at large. He is wanted for homicide after the discovery of his wife's body at the Fleur de Lis gated community, and is a suspect in the shooting of Judge Weller.

A Chaotic Scene

The events began Monday morning at 11:15, when police received reports of shots fired in the area of the newly-opened Mills B. Lane Justice Center on High Street. A News 4 crew was in the area and witnessed a chaotic scene as people ran from the building and frantically made calls on their cell phones.

"I hid behind a pillar and everything was starting to go crazy all over the place," an unidentified witness told News 4. "Cops were running all over the place."

"We were walking downtown near the building and we heard a gun," said Raya Pyles. "We all just ducked."

Craig Compton told News 4 he heard two gunshots followed by chaos inside the Justice Center.

"We were getting in an elevator, and people started scattering up there on the third floor," Compton said. "A deputy got in front of us and somebody said 'someone got shot. We heard a pop.'"

Washoe County Undersheriff Mike Haley said Reno Family Court Judge Chuck Weller was standing near a window on the third floor when he was shot in the torso. An aide, Annie Allison of Reno, was injured by flying glass.

"We're certain the shot came from outside," Haley said. "We can't speculate now where it came from. We have to establish the height of the window. It could have come from a variety of locations to the north."

One witness reported seeing an armed man in a nearby parking garage at the time of the shooting. Authorities are still investigating the structure.

Dozens of people were evacuated from the Justice Center as police charged into the building. Others were locked down for more than five hours. Streets surrounding the Justice Center did not reopen until late Monday night.

Police Investigate Related Murder
Just hours after the shooting, detectives responded to the Fleur de Lis community in south Reno on a report of a person found dead. The body was found in the garage of one of the townhomes.

The Press reports the home where the body was found is the residence of 39-year-old Charla Mack, the estranged wife of Darren Mack.

Following notification of family, police have confirmed the body was indeed that of Charla Mack.

Police say Darren and Charla Mack were to appear before Judge Weller September 8 as part of their pending divorce case.

Court documents obtained by News 4 show Darren Mack and his wife had been in and out of court several times since February 2005 as part of their divorce proceedings. At stake was custody of the couple's three children, and more than $10,000 a month in child and spousal support. Records also show Charla Mack's attorney had filed a motion to hold Darren Mack in contempt of court and asked that he be ordered to comply with child support requirements.

Darren Mack owns Palace Jewelry and Loan in Reno. Records show Mack had just declared bankruptcy. An employee at the business declined comment Monday.

Mack had a profile for his family on his eBay Web site, which was taken down late Monday. The Web page contained photos of Mack and his family, and information on his business. Before the site was removed, it contained this statement:

"My name is Darren Mack, and I am the third generation owner of a small business in Reno, Nevada. My family has owned and operated small businesses in Nevada for 45years. I am proud of the fact that I am able to carry on the legacy left to me by my parents and grandparents. I've been around jewelry and diamonds since my dad brought me down to the store when I was 7 years old. I have a personal commitment to excellence in any endeavor I take on. I am bringing to eBay a business ethic which is unshakeable. I deal fairly, with concern to the needs of my customers, and always with integrity. And, as you can see, I am married to a lovely young lady and have three beautiful children."

Search Delays Flights at Airport
The intensive manhunt for Darren Mack caused delays at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport Monday night. At 8:30, police received a report of a possible sighting of Mack at the airport. They shut down the parking garage and underwent a car-by-car search. Heavily-armed officers could be seen questioning drivers and passengers with guns ready. Airport spokesman Brian Kulpin said Federal agents and airport police also searched flights that had not yet taken off from the airport.

"Flights were held for some time this evening, just to make sure this suspect somehow didn't make it past security checkpoints," Kulpin said. "There are a lot of procedures put in place so that doesn't happen. But in a case with this profile, we wanted to make sure we're covering all the airport... So we did hold flights at gates. There were even some aircraft that came back to gates and were searched."

Kulpin said no arrests were made at the airport Monday night. He said all airport security personnel had been given fliers with Mack's photo and description, and were asked to keep an eye out for him.

Mike Simpson, a Southwest Airlines passenger, told News 4 police quickly escorted everyone off of his flight, which had just landed.

"People immediately got on their cell phones," Simpson said. "I was one of them. We all wanted to know - I called a friend of mine who works for a radio station to see if he knew anything, and pretty much everybody said it was all word of mouth - 'They got the sniper' and all that kind of an aspect."

Earlier, the search for Mack led Sheriff's deputies to surround a home on Chipmunk Avenue in Washoe Valley. Authorities had received a tip Mack may be inside the home. Deputies searched the house but did not find Mack.

Forty-five-year-old Darren Mack is white with brown hair and brown eyes. He is five feet, eleven inches tall and between 190 and 220 pounds. He may be driving a silver Ford SUV, possibly an Explorer.

Police say he is to be considered armed and dangerous.

http://www.amw.com

The "Other Woman" in the 'Second Life' Divorce Case

The 'other woman' in Second Life divorce...
who's now engaged to the web cheat she's never met

The new fiancee of Second Life love rat David Pollard, whose marriage crumbled when his wife caught him 'having online sex with her', was unmasked today - and denied the pair had had a cyber-affair.

Linda Brinkley, 55, known on the multi-player online game as Modesty McDonnell, revealed that since her online fling with David Pollard the couple had become engaged in real life.

But Miss Brinkley today denied that her internet love affair with Mr Pollard had led to the break-up of the 40-year-old's marriage to ex-wife Amy Taylor.

When their computer-generated selves clapped eyes on each other, she said, it was 'love at first sight'. But she claimed they were only friends until David split with his wife.

Miss Brinkley fell for David after her online character Modesty McDonnell began working as a hostess in the nightclub he runs on the web-based reality game.

Their bond in the game is now so strong that they have become engaged in real life - despite never having met outside the computer-generated world.

In the Second Life world players adopt a new identity and can move around, work and socialise in a computer-generated environment.

Miss Brinkley, of Arkansas, USA, said: 'When we first met it was at a fancy dress night on the game and he noticed me across the room and said he felt something special.

Happily married in Second Life: Modesty McDonnell (Linda Brinkley) and Dave Barmy (David Pollard), who are also engaged in real life.

'I felt it too so it really was like love at first sight. It was kind of strange at first because I never thought anything like this would happen to me.

'But we gradually built up our relationship and got closer until he proposed to me online for real. I was surprised but part of me knew it was coming and of course I said yes.

'He's told me that his relationship with his wife was over way before I came along and he's been very honest with me so I take his word for that.

'We've never met in real life but we've got each other's pictures. I'm really nervous about meeting him but at the same time I'm looking forward to it more than you could know.

'It's amazing that we've found each other across so many miles and we love each other very much. It's my dream to finally to meet up with him and it's all because of the game.'

David was dumped by first wife Amy after she allegedly caught his character Dave Barmy cheating with Modesty McDonnell, who she claimed was a prostitute.

But Modesty insists her avatar is a 'hostess' in Dave's online nightclub 'Holodeck'.

In the game their characters married after a whirlwind romance at a small ceremony attended by just seven guests.

Just weeks later David, of Newquay, Cornwall, proposed to Linda for a second time and the pair now plan to marry for real.

Amy Pollard, left, and her online character Laura Skye. Amy has filed for divorce after she caught her husband Dave having a 'virtual' affair online with a computer-generated female character

Linda, who has four children from two previous marriages, only started playing Second Life a month before meeting Dave so she could stay in touch with her sister.

She added: 'I would say I'm in love with Dave. I've been married in real life before but they weren't really good relationships and I haven't had much luck with men until now.

'I chat to him on the phone over the internet for at least two hours every night. We are always together. The only thing stopping us meeting is the distance and the money but we have exactly the same goals in life.'

Linda, a former special needs carer, is currently unemployed but intends to take an online degree in Religious Studies and hopes to work as a missionary.

She has three children aged 35, 33 and 30 from her first marriage and another son aged 15 from her second marriage.

David also insists he and Linda were only 'hanging out' together in Second Life and never indulged in cyber-sex before his real marriage to Amy was over.

'We weren't even having cyber sex or anything like that we were just chatting and hanging out together," he said.

'It was nothing really major but then Amy found out about it and went mad I don't think I was really doing anything wrong.'

Yesterday it was revealed that David and Amy had met while playing the game before marrying in real life.

But while the internet brought them together, it eventually tore them apart.

One day, Miss Taylor, 28, found Mr Pollard at the computer - watching his avatar having sex with a prostitute in Second Life.

She said: 'I went mad - I was so hurt. I just couldn't believe what he'd done.

'I looked at the computer screen and could see his character having sex with a female character. It's cheating as far as I'm concerned.

'But he didn't see it as a problem, and couldn't see why I was so upset.

'He said I was just making a big fuss and tried to make out it was my fault for not giving him enough attention.'

Using the virtual world's own special currency, she hired an online private detective to investigate his adultery.

However, back in their real lives, the Pollards managed to patch things up.

But then in April this year Mrs Taylor caught her husband's avatar in another compromising position.

She claims he was having ' cybersex' with a female player in the U.S. - chatting intimately in the virtual world.

Although Mr Pollard and the woman had never even met outside the game, Miss Taylor said that she was devastated by what she considered to be his very real betrayal.

She said: 'I caught him cuddling a woman on a sofa in the game. It looked really affectionate.

'He turned off the computer monitor and I turned it back on and demanded to look at his chat history.

'But he turned off the computer so the history was all deleted - and I ended up going off in floods of tears.

'He confessed he'd been talking to this woman player in America for one or two weeks, and said our marriage was over and he didn't love me any more, and we should never have got married.'

The next day, Miss Taylor went to a solicitor to file for divorce from her 40-year-old husband of three years on the grounds of ' unreasonable behaviour'.

Luckily, she now has a new man in her life - whom she met while playing the internet fantasy role-playing game World Of Warcraft.

From her home in Newquay, Cornwall, she said yesterday: 'It has been a very difficult time for me. I am now just trying to move on with my life.

People find love in lots of different ways. Ours was a very serious marriage.

'It may have started online but it existed entirely in the real world and it hurts just as much now it is over.'

She added: 'His was the ultimate betrayal and I felt absolutely terrible.

'I know it sounds bizarre but he had admitted to an earlier incident and he knew how I felt about it.'

Miss Taylor said: 'I still go online and play Second Life but not as much. There's still a chance I could bump into him on there.

'I have met somebody new and we are living together. I am very happy. I know it all sounds pretty strange - but it works for me.'

Her ex-husband, who would only speak to the Mail through his character on Second Life, said yesterday: 'I don't think I was really doing anything wrong.'

And he claimed that the problem was not Second Life, but his real life relationship with Miss Taylor.

'Amy never did anything around the house,' said Mr Pollard. 'She just played World of Warcraft all the time.

'If I wanted to spend time with her I had to ask - but it was always too much trouble for her to come off the game to spend time with me.'

For REAL LIFE pictures of these people & the original article - CLICK HERE

IF YOU'RE THIS INVOLVED? TURN OFF THE COMPUTER, PEOPLE! - Fighter

The "Other Woman" in the 'Second Life' Divorce Case

The 'other woman' in Second Life divorce...
who's now engaged to the web cheat she's never met

The new fiancee of Second Life love rat David Pollard, whose marriage crumbled when his wife caught him 'having online sex with her', was unmasked today - and denied the pair had had a cyber-affair.

Linda Brinkley, 55, known on the multi-player online game as Modesty McDonnell, revealed that since her online fling with David Pollard the couple had become engaged in real life.

But Miss Brinkley today denied that her internet love affair with Mr Pollard had led to the break-up of the 40-year-old's marriage to ex-wife Amy Taylor.

When their computer-generated selves clapped eyes on each other, she said, it was 'love at first sight'. But she claimed they were only friends until David split with his wife.

Miss Brinkley fell for David after her online character Modesty McDonnell began working as a hostess in the nightclub he runs on the web-based reality game.

Their bond in the game is now so strong that they have become engaged in real life - despite never having met outside the computer-generated world.

In the Second Life world players adopt a new identity and can move around, work and socialise in a computer-generated environment.

Miss Brinkley, of Arkansas, USA, said: 'When we first met it was at a fancy dress night on the game and he noticed me across the room and said he felt something special.

Happily married in Second Life: Modesty McDonnell (Linda Brinkley) and Dave Barmy (David Pollard), who are also engaged in real life.

'I felt it too so it really was like love at first sight. It was kind of strange at first because I never thought anything like this would happen to me.

'But we gradually built up our relationship and got closer until he proposed to me online for real. I was surprised but part of me knew it was coming and of course I said yes.

'He's told me that his relationship with his wife was over way before I came along and he's been very honest with me so I take his word for that.

'We've never met in real life but we've got each other's pictures. I'm really nervous about meeting him but at the same time I'm looking forward to it more than you could know.

'It's amazing that we've found each other across so many miles and we love each other very much. It's my dream to finally to meet up with him and it's all because of the game.'

David was dumped by first wife Amy after she allegedly caught his character Dave Barmy cheating with Modesty McDonnell, who she claimed was a prostitute.

But Modesty insists her avatar is a 'hostess' in Dave's online nightclub 'Holodeck'.

In the game their characters married after a whirlwind romance at a small ceremony attended by just seven guests.

Just weeks later David, of Newquay, Cornwall, proposed to Linda for a second time and the pair now plan to marry for real.

Amy Pollard, left, and her online character Laura Skye. Amy has filed for divorce after she caught her husband Dave having a 'virtual' affair online with a computer-generated female character

Linda, who has four children from two previous marriages, only started playing Second Life a month before meeting Dave so she could stay in touch with her sister.

She added: 'I would say I'm in love with Dave. I've been married in real life before but they weren't really good relationships and I haven't had much luck with men until now.

'I chat to him on the phone over the internet for at least two hours every night. We are always together. The only thing stopping us meeting is the distance and the money but we have exactly the same goals in life.'

Linda, a former special needs carer, is currently unemployed but intends to take an online degree in Religious Studies and hopes to work as a missionary.

She has three children aged 35, 33 and 30 from her first marriage and another son aged 15 from her second marriage.

David also insists he and Linda were only 'hanging out' together in Second Life and never indulged in cyber-sex before his real marriage to Amy was over.

'We weren't even having cyber sex or anything like that we were just chatting and hanging out together," he said.

'It was nothing really major but then Amy found out about it and went mad I don't think I was really doing anything wrong.'

Yesterday it was revealed that David and Amy had met while playing the game before marrying in real life.

But while the internet brought them together, it eventually tore them apart.

One day, Miss Taylor, 28, found Mr Pollard at the computer - watching his avatar having sex with a prostitute in Second Life.

She said: 'I went mad - I was so hurt. I just couldn't believe what he'd done.

'I looked at the computer screen and could see his character having sex with a female character. It's cheating as far as I'm concerned.

'But he didn't see it as a problem, and couldn't see why I was so upset.

'He said I was just making a big fuss and tried to make out it was my fault for not giving him enough attention.'

Using the virtual world's own special currency, she hired an online private detective to investigate his adultery.

However, back in their real lives, the Pollards managed to patch things up.

But then in April this year Mrs Taylor caught her husband's avatar in another compromising position.

She claims he was having ' cybersex' with a female player in the U.S. - chatting intimately in the virtual world.

Although Mr Pollard and the woman had never even met outside the game, Miss Taylor said that she was devastated by what she considered to be his very real betrayal.

She said: 'I caught him cuddling a woman on a sofa in the game. It looked really affectionate.

'He turned off the computer monitor and I turned it back on and demanded to look at his chat history.

'But he turned off the computer so the history was all deleted - and I ended up going off in floods of tears.

'He confessed he'd been talking to this woman player in America for one or two weeks, and said our marriage was over and he didn't love me any more, and we should never have got married.'

The next day, Miss Taylor went to a solicitor to file for divorce from her 40-year-old husband of three years on the grounds of ' unreasonable behaviour'.

Luckily, she now has a new man in her life - whom she met while playing the internet fantasy role-playing game World Of Warcraft.

From her home in Newquay, Cornwall, she said yesterday: 'It has been a very difficult time for me. I am now just trying to move on with my life.

People find love in lots of different ways. Ours was a very serious marriage.

'It may have started online but it existed entirely in the real world and it hurts just as much now it is over.'

She added: 'His was the ultimate betrayal and I felt absolutely terrible.

'I know it sounds bizarre but he had admitted to an earlier incident and he knew how I felt about it.'

Miss Taylor said: 'I still go online and play Second Life but not as much. There's still a chance I could bump into him on there.

'I have met somebody new and we are living together. I am very happy. I know it all sounds pretty strange - but it works for me.'

Her ex-husband, who would only speak to the Mail through his character on Second Life, said yesterday: 'I don't think I was really doing anything wrong.'

And he claimed that the problem was not Second Life, but his real life relationship with Miss Taylor.

'Amy never did anything around the house,' said Mr Pollard. 'She just played World of Warcraft all the time.

'If I wanted to spend time with her I had to ask - but it was always too much trouble for her to come off the game to spend time with me.'

For REAL LIFE pictures of these people & the original article - CLICK HERE

IF YOU'RE THIS INVOLVED? TURN OFF THE COMPUTER, PEOPLE! - Fighter

Husband Seeks Divorce Over Online Affair

(February, 1996) BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey (AP) -- A man filing for divorce accused his wife of carrying on a "virtual" affair via computer with a cybersex partner who called himself "The Weasel."

Diane Goydan's relationship with the man apparently never was consummated, but her husband, John Goydan of Bridgewater, claimed the pair had planned a real tryst this weekend at a New Hampshire bed and breakfast.

Goydan filed divorce papers January 23 that included dozens of e-mail exchanges -- some sexually explicit -- between his wife and a married man she met on America Online. The man, whose on-line name was The Weasel, was identified in court papers only as Ray from North Carolina.

In a November 23 message, The Weasel wrote: "I gotta tell you that I am one happy guy now and so much at peace again anticipating us. I love you dearly. XXOOXX."

Goydan is now seeking custody of the couple's two children, ages 3 and 7.

Goydan's lawyer, Richard Hurley, said Mrs. Goydan apparently believed the e-mail messages could not be retrieved, but her husband was able to pull them off the computer and store them on a disk.

That raises some privacy concerns, such as what rights spouses have to each other's communications, said David Banisar, spokesman for the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington.

"If it's a shared computer, then the spouse has equal rights to get on it and share what's on it," Banisar said. But if the husband gained access to her e-mail on line, that could violate her privacy rights, similar to a husband tapping his wife's telephone. "It's still pretty undefined in the law," Banisar said.

The divorce papers do not say exactly how Goydan retrieved the messages. Goydan began saving his wife's e-mail every day after surprising her as she was printing out something on the computer when he came home from work early. When Goydan later switched on the computer, it told him there was something waiting to be printed, and he discovered a message to his wife from The Weasel.

The lawsuit claims Mrs. Goydan promised that day to end [Internet Affair] the relationship but later that night sent The Weasel a message that they had been caught. Weeks later, she messaged: "I just have to learn to be more careful. ... I want so badly to be with you that I am willing to chance it."

Reached by telephone at home, Mrs. Goydan said, "You're kidding me" and hung up.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

Husband Seeks Divorce Over Online Affair

(February, 1996) BRIDGEWATER, New Jersey (AP) -- A man filing for divorce accused his wife of carrying on a "virtual" affair via computer with a cybersex partner who called himself "The Weasel."

Diane Goydan's relationship with the man apparently never was consummated, but her husband, John Goydan of Bridgewater, claimed the pair had planned a real tryst this weekend at a New Hampshire bed and breakfast.

Goydan filed divorce papers January 23 that included dozens of e-mail exchanges -- some sexually explicit -- between his wife and a married man she met on America Online. The man, whose on-line name was The Weasel, was identified in court papers only as Ray from North Carolina.

In a November 23 message, The Weasel wrote: "I gotta tell you that I am one happy guy now and so much at peace again anticipating us. I love you dearly. XXOOXX."

Goydan is now seeking custody of the couple's two children, ages 3 and 7.

Goydan's lawyer, Richard Hurley, said Mrs. Goydan apparently believed the e-mail messages could not be retrieved, but her husband was able to pull them off the computer and store them on a disk.

That raises some privacy concerns, such as what rights spouses have to each other's communications, said David Banisar, spokesman for the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington.

"If it's a shared computer, then the spouse has equal rights to get on it and share what's on it," Banisar said. But if the husband gained access to her e-mail on line, that could violate her privacy rights, similar to a husband tapping his wife's telephone. "It's still pretty undefined in the law," Banisar said.

The divorce papers do not say exactly how Goydan retrieved the messages. Goydan began saving his wife's e-mail every day after surprising her as she was printing out something on the computer when he came home from work early. When Goydan later switched on the computer, it told him there was something waiting to be printed, and he discovered a message to his wife from The Weasel.

The lawsuit claims Mrs. Goydan promised that day to end [Internet Affair] the relationship but later that night sent The Weasel a message that they had been caught. Weeks later, she messaged: "I just have to learn to be more careful. ... I want so badly to be with you that I am willing to chance it."

Reached by telephone at home, Mrs. Goydan said, "You're kidding me" and hung up.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE

COUPLE TO DIVORCE AFTER "ONLINE AFFAIR"

A Bosnian couple are getting divorced after finding out they had been secretly chatting each other up online under fake names.

Sana Klaric, 27, and husband Adnan, 32, from Zenica, poured out their hearts to each other over their marriage troubles, and both felt they had found their real soul mate.

The couple met on an online chat forum while he was at work and she in an internet cafe, and started chatting under the names Sweetie and Prince of Joy.

They eventually decided to meet up - but there was no happy ending when they realised what had happened.

Now they are both filing for divorce - with each accusing the other of being unfaithful.

Sana said: "I thought I had found the love of my life. The way this Prince of Joy spoke to me, the things he wrote, the tenderness in every expression was something I had never had in my marriage.

"It was amazing, we seemed to be stuck in the same kind of miserable marriages - and how right that turned out to be.

"We arranged to meet outside a shop and both of us would be carrying a single rose so we would know the other.

"When I saw my husband there with the rose and it dawned on me what had happened I was shattered. I felt so betrayed. I was so angry."

Adnan said: "I was so happy to have found a woman who finally understood me. Then it turned out that I hadn't found anyone new at all.

"To be honest I still find it hard to believe that the person, Sweetie, who wrote such wonderful things to me on the internet, is actually the same woman I married and who has not said a nice word to me for years."

SOURCE

COUPLE TO DIVORCE AFTER "ONLINE AFFAIR"

A Bosnian couple are getting divorced after finding out they had been secretly chatting each other up online under fake names.

Sana Klaric, 27, and husband Adnan, 32, from Zenica, poured out their hearts to each other over their marriage troubles, and both felt they had found their real soul mate.

The couple met on an online chat forum while he was at work and she in an internet cafe, and started chatting under the names Sweetie and Prince of Joy.

They eventually decided to meet up - but there was no happy ending when they realised what had happened.

Now they are both filing for divorce - with each accusing the other of being unfaithful.

Sana said: "I thought I had found the love of my life. The way this Prince of Joy spoke to me, the things he wrote, the tenderness in every expression was something I had never had in my marriage.

"It was amazing, we seemed to be stuck in the same kind of miserable marriages - and how right that turned out to be.

"We arranged to meet outside a shop and both of us would be carrying a single rose so we would know the other.

"When I saw my husband there with the rose and it dawned on me what had happened I was shattered. I felt so betrayed. I was so angry."

Adnan said: "I was so happy to have found a woman who finally understood me. Then it turned out that I hadn't found anyone new at all.

"To be honest I still find it hard to believe that the person, Sweetie, who wrote such wonderful things to me on the internet, is actually the same woman I married and who has not said a nice word to me for years."

SOURCE