Marilyn Hartman was caught after her ankle monitor malfunctioned during her attempt to trespass at the Chicago O’hare International airport.
What We Know:
- Hartman, also known as the “serial stowaway,” was recognized by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from past incidences. Hartman began her journey in 2002 when she managed to sneak aboard flights to Paris and Copenhagen. The incident that occurred on Tuesday was Hartman’s first attempt to stowaway in a year.
- Hartman alleges that she witnessed a TV news broadcast that triggered a relapse in her mental health before she left her home facility and headed for O’hare airport. Hartman asserts that she suffers from bipolar disorder, a disease that has impeded her attempts to become rehabilitated in the past. Hartman’s arrest violates her bail and probation on previous cases, which means she will undergo serious consequences. Her defense lawyer, Andrea Lubefeld, reiterates that Hartman was in full compliance with the conditions set for her bail before the incident.
“She has a mental illness that was triggered by something out of her control, and she reacted not, perhaps, in making the best choice,” Lubefeld stated in Hartman’s defense. She believes Hartman’s mental illness “affects her ability to make choices”.
- Judge David Navarro has set Hartman’s bond to $100,000 on an escape charge but also ordered her to be held without bond for the charges that violated her previous bail agreement. Prosecutors on the case asked Navarro to set Hartman’s bond so high because of the most recent escape charge. In 2019 Hartman was convicted on charges of burglary and trespassing at the same airport.
- In a previous case, Dr. Christopher Cooper stated that Hartman’s mental stability was “intermittent and appears to fluctuate day to day.” Dr. Cooper is a prosecution psychologist and admits that Hartman is intelligent but suffers from delusions and is “preoccupied with media attention. It appears Dr. Cooper’s analysis matches Hartman’s repeated behavior.
The argument for Hartman centers around the idea that her disability is the root cause of her actions. There has not been a trial date set for her at this time.
