LITMIR.BIZ

      All through November and December, John Battaglia continually broke into Michelle’s house at night. She had already changed her locks twice, but, each time, John had called a locksmith and convinced him that it was his house and he had misplaced his key. In no time, Battaglia had a set of keys for the new locks. She called the locksmith to add more dead bolts. She had to find a way to stop him.

      Once Michelle had received another copy of her protective order, she picked up the phone and called the Municipal Court of Dallas and spoke with an Officer James Shivers. She told him she couldn’t count the times Battaglia had broken into her house or peered at her through the windows. He had scared and shocked her, then threatened her with bodily harm. The officer wrote up a report charging Battaglia with violation of the protective order, and issued a warrant for his arrest.

      Until the court completed the paperwork and the police could take action, John Battaglia was totally unaware of his pending arrest. Many times he’d wait until Michelle had left, then slip into her house after Odice had unlocked the doors. He threatened to harm the sitter if she told. Odice knew what harm meant; she had seen enough bruises on her employer. Whenever Michelle called to check on the children, she didn’t have to ask if her husband was there; she could hear Odice’s stammering voice, sounding like a frightened child’s. Michelle constantly worried that Odice would quit.

      When John Battaglia learned through a friend at the police department that Michelle had reported him, he was furious. He knew that his actions could result in an arrest—an arrest that could mean jail time. In desperation, he took a different approach to restrain his wife. On November 21, he called Dean Gandy, her boss at Akin, Gump, and fabricated a wild account of Michelle having an affair with the managing partner while she was pregnant with another attorney’s child. He threatened to take the information public to tarnish the firm’s reputation.

      “What the hell are you talking about?” Gandy demanded, fully exasperated.

      “If you’d just persuade Michelle not to press those criminal charges, I won’t call the newspaper about this. Talk to her and make her drop . . .”

      Gandy slammed down the receiver in Battaglia’s ear.

      After all the months of harassment, the employees at Akin, Gump were painfully aware of Michelle’s out-of-control husband. Solely because of him, the firm placed panic alarms on all four floors of their tastefully decorated offices. Next to each alarm, a photo of Battaglia was taped to the wall. Oddly, the photo was from his modeling portfolio. Whoever saw Battaglia first was to press the buzzer to warn other employees. Because of Michelle’s restraining order, John was not allowed within 100 feet of her, but that didn’t deter him.