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New push to toughen Virginia's stalking laws

A new push to toughen Virginia's stalking laws, all because of a case involving two women in Roanoke County in some very public places.

The women say their lives have changed ever since a man, they had never met, started stalking them.

"I feel like I'm imprisoned in my own home," said Priscilla Newton. 

She's talking about how her life changed since becoming a stalker's target. 

It started in the fall of 2007, when Newton, who's a realtor, was pumping gas at a service station on Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke County.  She says a man stared at her, made sexual gestures and comments.

Newton didn't think much of it, until the man showed up again, and again, mostly along 419 and Brambleton Avenue in Roanoke County: at the book store, the grocery store, the drug store and the dry cleaner.

In June 2008, Newton says the stalker's threats went farther in a parking lot in Salem.

"He started chasing me across the parking lot and telling me things he would absolutely do to me," said Newton. 

She said those things included threatening to cut off a part of her body and then sexually assault her.

She says the man followed her into a store. The stalker ran off when a male customer stepped in to help.

"He literally could not get my attention.  He go very angry.  He came up to the other aisle toward me, like he was going to attack me," said Newton.   

She may not be the only woman the stalker was following.

"I leave my house in the morning and I have to go back and pick up my gun," said Liz Edlich. 

Edlich is also a realtor.  She says the same man followed her.

While her case was dismissed, a judge issued a protective order that he stay away from Edlich and not travel on Route 419 or Brambleton Avenue for two years.

Edlich not only carries that protective order with her, but sleeps with her gun by her bed.  Family members shout out to her when they come home.

"When they come in, 'Hello it's me!  Hello it's me!'  They know I'm scared, that I live this every single day for a long time, a year at least," said Edlich. 

Edlich and Newton know each other, they worked at the same real estate office in Roanoke County.

"So I don't know if he picked us up out of the magazine, or sitting outside our office," said Edlich.   

Last June, police arrested 40-year-old James Wirt, known to friends as Danny.  He was convicted of two counts of stalking Priscilla Newton, served nine months and was released this past March.

But within weeks, police say he was back at it.  According to Roanoke County detectives, he was tracking both women.  And since being out of jail, they say Wirt parked his truck right in front of Newton's home.

Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Bowers has seen a lot of stalking cases, but nothing like this.

"This is probably one of the worst ones I've seen," said Bowers. 

In Virginia, stalking is a misdemeanor and only becomes a more serious felony if someone been's convicted three times within five years.

Delegate Morgan Griffith wants to change that.  He's drafting legislation to toughen Virginia's stalking laws.

"To make stranger stalking a first offense felony, and first offense felony for stalking if you've already been convicted of domestic violence," said Griffith.   

He said it was Edlich and Newton's cases that convinced him something must be done.

"When you hear the facts of this case, it's pretty scary, I think, we're all concerned about the public," said Griffith. 

"I never dreamed I would have to go through being a victim, why I was chosen.  I don't know, but you learn a lot when you become a victim," said Newton. 

Griffith will propose the new law when the General Assembly session begins early next year.  If passed, it could make stranger stalking, on the first offense, a felony in Virginia as early as next April.

As for James Wirt, within a few weeks of his release, there were five warrants out for his arrest for incidents allegedly involving Edlich and Newton.

Wirt surrendered last Friday.  He's now charged with stalking, this time as a felony and could be sentenced to as many as five years behind bars.

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