Death on the River

by Diane Fanning

  * * *

  Sean Von Clauss, Vince’s friend since elementary school, had been in New York City that weekend for a three-day music gig. He returned to his home in Boston on Marathon Monday, April 20. He saw thirty-six missed messages about the accident. Panicked, he went to Angelika’s Facebook page to learn more.

  Angelika, like many others who have experienced a traumatic event, posted about her ordeal but did not include any details. She started with a positive message thanking everyone for their concern and insisting that “miracles ARE possible.” She assured everyone that the authorities were doing everything they could, and she expressed concern that no one else get hurt in the dangerous river. She also pleaded for no questions at that time. She concluded her first post on a hopeful note: “We will find him.”

  She followed up that entry by updating her profile photo to a romantic black-and-white shot of her and Vince with one of his arms wrapped around her, a hand on her bare shoulder. She also changed her cover picture to one of Vince standing at the end of a narrow pier, holding a glass up in salute. The following day, she shared an image of a candle burning in front of a photo of the two of them on a Carnival Cruise ship, and a photo of Vince holding a glass that she captioned with a wish for a happy “1.7 year anniversary [sic].”

  That same day, friend Sheri Parte went to the condo where Vince and Angelika lived to offer whatever comfort she could. “I’m freaking out,” Sheri told Angelika. She tried to get her friend to open up about the past day’s events. “Do you have any photos from when Vinny went missing?” Sheri asked.

  “No. I lost my phone. I was talking to nine-one-one and trying to paddle at the same time and a wave swamped the kayak and caused it to capsize,” Angelika said in a calm voice.

  Sheri could not believe how mellow and matter-of-fact Angelika seemed about the whole situation. She didn’t think she could maintain any sense of composure if the same thing had happened to her.

  On the twenty-second, Angelika changed her profile picture again—this time to another photo of the couple with both of Vince’s arms wrapped around her. She added four more photos to her timeline: a lineup of four silly animal figurines; a snapshot of her cell phone with a photo of her and Vince; a picture of Vince in front of a waterfall; and another of both of them in the same spot. She then posted a message: “I have never felt more grateful in my life than I do now … the most sincere thanks to everyone Vince and I know … and to those we don’t as well!!!”

  She changed her profile photo again the next day to one of a flower bed beside the river, with the Bannerman Castle in the background. She also shared a disturbing photograph of herself, alone in a kayak, paddling across the Hudson River under a dark and ominous sky. She captioned the post: “If only I could have paddled harder, dammit…”

  Angelika had unsettled Sheri in the immediate aftermath of the accident, but seeing that photograph disturbed her on a deeper level. She told People magazine: “It’s kind of creepy that she’s there alone and it’s a stormy day. It was kind of freaky.”

  In the next few days, suspicions about Angelika loomed larger in the thoughts of more and more people. Soon a great many of them would begin to view Angelika in a less than positive light.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The arrested woman whose fiancé was missing in the Hudson River was born Angelika Lipska behind the Iron Curtain in Riga, the capital of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Latvia, on February 27, 1980. In its early history, local factions had controlled the territory, which covered an area a bit larger than West Virginia. During the Middle Ages, its pivotal location on the Baltic Sea made it important territory for other nations to seize, and as a result it was ruled during different periods by Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, and finally Russia. During the reign of the Tsars, Peter the Great married a Latvian woman who, upon his death, ruled over all of Russia as Catherine I.

  Latvia declared its independence in 1918 and maintained it until 1940 when the Soviets overran their nation and annexed it as a Communist state. A year later, Nazi troops marched the streets, which continued until 1944, when Soviet forces routed the Germans and regained control. After the war, the USSR built up the industrial base of the country to the point that there were not enough Latvians to fill all the jobs created. This called for the immigration of a large number of Russians into Latvia. Angelika’s ancestors were part of this new ethnic Russian population that soon equaled the population of native-born. The official language became Russian, which was required for all official transactions and for admission into institutes of higher learning.

  By the time Angelika was born, public displays by enthusiastic crowds in support of the Soviet regime were ordered on all anniversaries of prominent dates in the Russian revolutionary calendar. Latvians rallied as required, but unrest was building in the populace as they faced increasing shortages of food and consumer goods. The earliest signs of rebellion against Soviet authority were seen in a thriving black market and through the prevalent elevations in work absenteeism and in escalating alcoholism.

  Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the USSR, introduced the political and economic reforms known as glasnost and perestroika midway through the first decade of the young girl’s life. She was seven years old in the summer of 1987 when large demonstrations erupted in Riga at the Freedom Monument, to commemorate the mass deportation of more than forty-three thousand native Latvians to Siberia in June 1941. The disruption was the catalyst for the formation of the Popular Front of Latvia.

  In November, on Independence Day 1989, half a million Latvians gathered to protest again in Riga. These displays of resistance eventually led to the victory of the pro-independence party in March 1990.

  That was a heady year in Latvia. In March, an election was held for the first time in decades that allowed the participation of multiple political parties. The Republic of Latvia established a transition period that would lead to a full parliamentary democracy. On May 4, the 1940 annexation of the Republic of Latvia was declared illegal, unconstitutional, and against the will of the people. The republic reinstated a portion of the 1922 constitution. Their relationship with the Soviet Union reverted to the conditions of the 1920 treaty, in which the Soviets had recognized the independence of Latvia “for all time.” May 4 remains a national holiday throughout Latvia, known as Independence Restoration Day.

  On May 7, Soviet tanks and other armored vehicles rolled through Riga to intimidate the citizens with a show of military strength. Moscow made several attempts to stop the independence of the three Baltic States—Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. Nonetheless, under Premier Mikhail Gorbachev and his perestroika policy, all of them regained their independence before the total dissolution of the Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991.

  * * *

  In addition to the tumult facing her country, Angelika’s personal life was chaotic and mired in poverty. Her mother worked hard at cleaning other people’s houses, while at home there was no hot running water. At a young age, Angelika realized that if she was going to have a better life she needed to make decisions and take actions to create a change in her circumstances.

  Riga, a thriving port for centuries, was the industrial, shipping, and cultural center of Latvia. The city is considered by many to be the Art Nouveau capital of northern Europe, with elegant and evocative architecture dotting the town center. At the time of Angelika’s birth, Riga boasted a population of three-quarters of a million.

  The preteen Angelika and her family, along with all citizens of their small Baltic country, were liberated from the shroud of totalitarian government in 1991. New opportunities and horizons opened in a rush. Liberty did not lift the family from the bottom of the economic barrel, but it did strengthen and elevate the power of the young girl’s dreams.

  Angelika found comfort in photography, documenting the beauty of the great forests and majestic beaches of her native land. For entertainment, she learned to play guitar and sing popular Western songs. She escaped her hectic reality by ind
ulging in an imagined new life in the United States one day.

  Angelika grabbed that opportunity with desperate urgency when she turned twenty. She sought and obtained a visa to emigrate to America through a position as a nanny for a prominent family in Greenwich, Connecticut. When she said good-bye to her mother, she only planned to stay for one short year. Life in the United States, however, exceeded her childhood dreams, and she extended her stay.

  Less than eighteen months after the barely five-foot-tall young woman had started her position, there was a problem with the heating and cooling system in the family’s home. A repair company was called to repair it, and Shawn Maloney arrived on the doorstep.

  After a whirlwind romance, Shawn and Angelika were married, but it lasted barely a year and ended in 2003. Shawn held no grudges about the relationship, saying that they were simply too young and moved too quickly into commitment.

  While with Shawn, the now-21-year-old Angelika left her nanny job and started working as a bartender. She alternated between that and waitressing jobs up to and after the breakup. She had a natural knack for remembering names, which served her well in both positions. She played guitar and sang onstage when she was off duty, as a solo act or accompanying local bands. However, she had a problem with authority. Because of that, she changed working situations a lot, usually because she would lose her temper in a staff meeting and end up unemployed. Through it all, though, she worked on developing her skills as a photographer, focusing on animals, landscapes, or inanimate objects. She rarely ever took pictures of people.

  Soon after her marriage ended, Angelika met Richard Graswald. He was the owner of North Eastern Decorative Concrete, a business that incorporated his knowledge and experience with concrete and his natural creative talents. After a short period of dating, they married and moved to Shelton, Connecticut. She quit her restaurant job and focused on her photography for a while, entering and occasionally winning competitions, including a first- and third-place finish in the national KODAK Gallery Awards. Her photographs, along with those of the other winners, went on a world tour with a stop in New York City. In addition, one of her shots made it into an edition of Petersen photography guides. She also studied at a community college, graduating with honors in English.

  Her second marriage, too, was destined to be a short-term relationship. In the fall of 2008, Angelika started a temporary job with a Connecticut-based company in Hyde Park, New York, creating a digital record of the historical documents and photographs at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. Monday through Friday, her days were filled with endless scanning. For months, she’d return to her home and Richard each weekend. However, she was growing bored with the relationship, claiming that after the wedding they no longer had sex.

  On weekday nights, she looked for relaxation and excitement by immersing herself in the rich music scene at the Poughkeepsie area bars. Ken Veltz had energized that world when he started providing free live music in his Listening Room at Whistling Willie’s American Grill. He pulled in the Brooklyn musicians he knew as well as performers visiting from Los Angeles. One frequent guest was Tony Garnier, longtime bassist and musical director for Bob Dylan. More than two hundred musicians participated in his Listening Room performance rounds in the two short years of its existence, from December 2007 to November 2009.

  * * *

  After work at the FDR library on November 5, 2008, Angelika stopped by Mahoney’s Irish Pub. Mike Colvin, a former on-air personality for WPDH, was the Wednesday evening DJ for karaoke night. Angelika stepped up for three songs, including one of her favorites, “Objection” by Shakira.

  She and Mike chatted while she was waiting to take the stage. He was intrigued by her accent and attracted to her upbeat personality. By the time Mike’s shift was over, the two of them were upstairs making out. She came back to the pub several times that month, and Mike was always glad to see her again. It was the start of a new relationship.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Mike was a well-known area DJ. He’d started his career at the classic rock station WDPH in 1997. His signature event, the Roof-A-Thon, was an annual fifty-one-hour broadcast from the roof of the 7-Eleven in Wappingers Falls, raising money for the Lower Hudson Valley and Fairfield County chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He’d started out as a volunteer, but soon he was the co-host, along with his “Coop and Mikey” morning show partner, Mark Cooper.

  In August 2003, Mike and Mark kicked off the nineteenth annual Roof-A-Thon. By the time it ended, they’d raised $127,000. The next day, Mark’s wife gave birth to their son: Thomas. The radio station sent flowers with a note that read: “Welcome, Thomas, to the home of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

  Nine short days after that, station management asked Mike and Mark to attend a meeting after their on-air shift. When they arrived, they were fired for a drop in their ratings and a change in the station’s format. So much for their successful fundraiser—so much for the oft-repeated “We are family” phrase—the duo was tossed out like yesterday’s trash.

  Mike had already started a separate DJ business, playing music at bars and pubs as well as weddings and other social occasions. He knew he’d be able to make it financially, but he worried about his partner, who’d just become a father.

  It took three years, but Mark Cooper was eventually hired back as a co-host of the morning show at WPDH in September 2006. Over the years, Mike built up his professional DJ business to a success that enabled him to volunteer his services to a variety of charitable organizations.

  * * *

  Mike was outside hanging Christmas lights on the Friday after Thanksgiving 2008 when Angelika called and said, “I’m leaving Richard.” He thought it was a bit odd that she’d contacted him with the news. It made more sense a couple of days later when she showed up at his doorstep, suitcase in hand: “I don’t have a place to live. I’m moving in with you.”

  Mike had never made that offer to her and, in fact, had never made any kind of commitment to Angelika. Nonetheless, he was an easygoing guy and didn’t interfere with her plans. She moved right into his place.

  Everything went well with the new arrangement, at first. Angelika had to be at the presidential library each weekday morning, and his work kept him out until 4:00 am most nights. They slept side by side for a few hours each night, often engaging in physical intimacy, but didn’t have much time for other forms of social interaction.

  On December 2, Mike made a guest appearance with his former radio partner on a special anniversary show, recounting the ten years they’d spent on the air together. Angelika came along to show her support and enjoy the music. While they were out, Richard Graswald showed up at Mike’s home. He took pictures of the exterior of the house and posted them on Facebook with comments about Angelika, mocking the fact that she lived there now and had left him for what Richard obviously saw as an inferior situation.

  Mike said that Richard continued to escalate the situation after those posts, leaving messages on Mike’s phone, calling him names like “scumbag.” Soon he’d taken it up another notch by making flat-out threats. Mike was disturbed enough to file a complaint with the police. More than once, Mike asked himself, “What the hell am I doing with this chick?” But still, he avoided confrontation and did nothing to change the situation.

  When Angelika learned Richard was going to Florida, she took matters into her own hands. She borrowed an SUV from a friend, drove to Connecticut, and broke into Richard’s home. No one could have blamed her if she’d merely retrieved her own belongings, but she took it much further. She cleaned out the house, packing the car until it couldn’t hold any more. When she returned to Poughkeepsie, Mike was shocked at what she’d taken—tools she didn’t know how to use, garage materials she had no reason to use, and even every single roll of toilet paper she could find.

  “It’s one thing to take your clothes and stuff, but this is all his stuff. It isn’t right,” Mike told her. All his objections fell on deaf ears. “You
couldn’t tell Angelika anything—you could not tell her right from wrong,” Mike reflected.

  Mike tried to cajole her to do the right thing, but to no avail. Richard, too, asked her to return his belongings, but in the end, he had to take her to court with an itemized list to retrieve his possessions. Their divorce was finalized the following year.

  At the end of January 2009, Angelika’s temporary job came to an end and she lost the company car she had used to travel there and back. Unemployed, she had more time and energy to go with Mike to his DJ gigs and social events. Mike introduced her to Sorluna de Butterfly, one of his close friends whom they’d run into at Mahoney’s Irish Pub. Mike, Sorluna said, liked to show off Angelika, wanting his friends to admire her. Sorluna thought Angelika was a very positive and happy person and gladly accepted her as a friend, too. When it was apparent that the two women got along, Sorluna claimed that Mike suggested that she join him and Angelika in a threesome. Although this was a common desire among Hudson Valley men according to Sorluna, the idea seemed odd to her since Angelika was half her age.

  Although Mike seemed to like having Angelika around as arm candy, he complained that she spent all her time on his couch and exhibited no enthusiasm to find another job. This attitude, he said later, had a negative impact on the already shallow and shaky relationship.

  Finally, Mike put his foot down—living with her was one thing; supporting her was another. He spent five thousand dollars on a used Hyundai Elantra and told her she had to get a job. When she didn’t make the effort, he found a job for her as a waitress and bartender at Mahoney’s Casperkill Golf Club.

  Angelika was a contentious employee. She was often late to work, even though she didn’t need to get there until 11:00 in the morning. She did not take criticism well and wanted to do things her way instead of following instructions. “When she didn’t get what she felt she had a right to, there was a spiteful side to her,” Mike said. He described those instances as “her Russian coming out.”