In June 1996, I had an online argument with
Cynthia Smathers (now Armistead). We exchanged insults and I went about trying to ignore
this woman. On her web site she bragged about 3 failed marriages and about being a bitch. We (my co-workers and I) would laugh
about her site, and about the arguments she would
frequently get in with men. I also found evidence that she has been involved in the BDSM world, has attempted suicide,
and despite her mental history, carries a concealed weapon. (To shoot all those stalkers
following her).
Sometime in July, I found out from my supervisor that Ms. Smathers had contacted my
employer complaining about alleged posts to newsgroups coming from my computer. They
looked into it briefly, but since I did not have the ability to post to newsgroups, they
ignored her. They did ask me to not access the Internet at work for personal use.
In August 1996, Ms. Smathers had done an extensive background check on me and alerted my
employer that I had been arrested. I had not put this on my employment application, so
since this was a contract position with the government, I was let go. Ms. Smathers did
this purely to harm me. Allegedly, this same month, Ms. Smathers received an anonymous email saying someone had followed her home from her mailbox
location. The fact that the email was ever sent is seriously in doubt, as Ms. Smathers
never provided any proof that it existed. The ISP where it supposedly
originated, could not prove who sent it or its authenticity. If someone did follow
her, it would have to be someone who had a lot of time sitting at her mailbox location.
They also would have to know what she looked like. I had never met or seen this woman, so
I had no idea what she looked like. She has never mentioned seeing anyone follow her as of
April 1998.
In August 1996, this woman had me arrested for Simple Assault. With no evidence, she swore
out a warrant. You see, anyone with $10.00, can swear out a warrant on someone and
have them arrested by swearing under oath what they believe to be true facts. The
detective in this case was an idiot for ever allowing Cynthia Armistead to manipulate her.
Ms. Armistead had no evidence that I had ever seen her or sent her the alleged email, so
she basically lied under oath. She could say she believed I was responsible, but she did
not have 1 piece of evidence to tie me to any crime against her. That Detective Debbie
Wynne, would ever this warrant to exist shows criminal actions on her part. Please
remember, that the sole piece of evidence for this warrant, was an anonymous email,
allegedly sent from an Internet Provider called PSI. That Internet provider said they had
no idea where it originated from, or in other words, if it ever really existed.
The only proof that the email ever existed, was a text file on the Cynthia Armistead's
computer. She probably type it with Microsoft Word and printed it out. There is absolutely
no proof it came from ANY INTERNET PROVIDER. That Detective Wynne would let
Cynthia Armistead swear out a warrant for the ridiculous charge of Simple Assault, is
about as irresponsible as you can get.
I was arrested on Sept. 14, 1996. After being released almost immediately, I received an anonymous email. It would not surprise me if Ms. Smathers
sent this email to me. It contained her phone number. I had someone call once and there
was no answer. This person called a second time and got an answering machine with a
woman's voice. Since the message supposedly came from a man, they thought it was a prank
and hung up. Both calls were made from my house. No other calls were ever made to Ms.
Armistead-Smathers by me or anyone I know. Her number is unlisted and I would have no way
to get her number. The person that sent me the anonymous email knew her number. I think
that person was Ms. Smathers. She then swore out a warrant for Harassing Phone Calls. I
think she set me up, on purpose. My lawyer was contacted and I surrendered myself and was
released immediately.
My attorney pointed out to the Prosecutor that there was no way I could be guilty of
Simple Assault. They were going to drop all of the charges, but Ms. Armistead-Smathers put
tremendous pressure on the prosecutor to change the charge to stalking, and to prosecute. My
attorney indicated that the prosecutor did not want to try the case, but that the alleged
victim would not allow him to drop the charges.
I agreed to a jury trial, as I had seen the evidence, and there was nothing. Months went
by and we kept saying either try the case or drop the charges. The prosecutor
apparently did not want to try the case, but Ms. Armistead-Smathers continued her pressure
on him.
In May, 1997, Ms. Armistead-Smathers appeared on Unsolved Mysteries. What was unsolved?
She claimed to know what happened. The prosecutor, the judge and my attorney all
saw a tape of the show. Supposedly, the judge was furious and told my attorney that she
was. My attorney recommended, that since the judge had this state of mind toward Ms.
Armistead-Smathers, that we should agree to a bench trial.
The Trial
In June we waived a jury trial and agreed to a bench trial. We went to trial on July 17,
1997. My attorney told me, that the prosecutor would try the Harassing Phone Call trial as
he felt there was not any evidence to get a conviction in the Stalking case. My
attorney also said, that the prosecutor told him, that Ms. Armistead, would never go away,
if he did not bring something to trial. Knowing the harassment I have received
from Ms. Armistead, and her history of attacking men, I can imagine the pressure she was
putting on the prosecutor. I was found Not Guilty of the
Harassing Phone Call charges, and the Stalking charges were
immediately ruled Nolle Prosequi. This trial was before a woman judge, with no
jury. Had there been any evidence of a crime, you can be assured, that I would have been
convicted. More than one person told me that they spoke with Noah Pines and that he
admitted that there was no evidence to bring a stalking charge to trial, and that is why
he did not try the case.
Since the trial, my family and I continue to be the target of harassment from Ms. Armistead-Smathers. Because of her site publishing our names, phone numbers, and address, we get phone calls in the middle of the night, and sexually explicit mail sent to Richard Cranium and Dick Coward (a name she uses on her site). All of the callers mention her name. Reporters show up unannounced at our front door. She still publishes libelous and defamatory, false information about me on her site.
She says that since our phone number and address is public record, that she is committing no crime by having them on her web site. That is not true. The phone book has millions of names, but not one of them has lies printed in connection with them. Cynthia Armistead defames and libels me by stating I am a stalker, and then publishes my phone number and address in connection with her lies. She has no evidence that anyone has ever stalked her. She also harms other innocent people of my family, as my wife and children are afraid to answer the phone, or even the door. We know of her history of mental problems, and that she carries a gun, and we all fear she will show up at our door.