A deputy prison warden's wife who disappeared with a convicted murderer in 1994 and spent a decade on the run with him has been charged with helping him escape.
Three years after Bobbi Parker and Randolph Dial were found, a prosecutor said Tuesday he had charged Parker with assisting in Dial's escape from the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite. Now 45, she could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Dial died in prison at age 62 last year. After his 2005 capture, he said he kidnapped Parker at knifepoint and forced her to live with him all those years. But a court affidavit alleges that the two were romantically involved prior to the escape, and that Parker helped Dial escape by hiding him in her car.
At the time of Dial's escape, Parker left behind her husband, Randy, who was deputy warden at the Granite prison at the time, and two daughters, then ages 8 and 10. She was reunited with them after she was found in April 2005 in east Texas, where she and Dial had been raising chickens.
Randy Parker, now a Department of Corrections official working in McAlester, told The Associated Press by telephone Tuesday that he and his wife are "waiting to see what happens next." Parker said he didn't know if his wife would be allowed to surrender to authorities or would be taken into custody.
Dial was serving a life sentence for the 1981 slaying of a karate instructor when he escaped. A sculptor and painter with a master's degree in art, he had obtained trusty status at the Oklahoma State Reformatory, meaning he could stay in minimum security housing outside the prison walls.
He ran an inmate pottery program with Bobbi Parker, used a kiln in the Parkers' garage and had access to their home during the day.
Charles Sasser, a former police detective who wrote a book about Dial, said the fugitive called him a few years before his capture, and even put Bobbi Parker on the phone.
"At one point in the conversation, I asked her if she was doing OK, and she said, 'Yes, I'm fine. I'm happy,'" Sasser said Monday.
"I asked her if she should talk to her children, and she said, 'No, maybe it's better that they think I'm dead.'"
University of Oklahoma criminal law professor Randall Coyne said Dial's death and the long delay in prosecuting the case could work to Parker's benefit.
"She could argue that her due process rights are harmed because the prosecutor sat on the charges for so long," Coyne said. "She could argue documents or witnesses helpful to her may have disappeared."
Jackson County District Attorney John Wampler said there were several reasons that more than three years passed before a decision on charging Bobbi Parker was reached. The charge was filed Friday.
"The only thing I would say is initially, we were concentrated on the charges against Mr. Dial himself," he said by telephone. Dial pleaded no contest to escape in December 2006 and was sentenced to seven years in prison.
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Associated Press Writer Sean Murphy contributed to this report.
The first thing you need to know about Nordstrom Café in the Stanford Shopping Center is to order the tomato basil soup. It's a deep rosy red, always piping hot and accompanied by a thin Parmesan encrusted crouton perfect for dipping.
So often, mall food is greasy, overpriced or bland. Even at the upscale Stanford center, where there are a dozen choices, I've always felt the trek over to Nordstrom Café is worthwhile.
This restaurant, tucked into the windowed second floor, serves salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizza and desserts, all brought to you by servers wearing that sunny Nordstrom smile. On a rainy day it's bound to cheer you up.
Get in line at the entrance to the cafe (conveniently located by lingerie if you need to buy a bra while waiting). Order and pay at the counter. Servers bring your drinks and food to the table.
Lunch, snacks, and even early dinner are offered. Chinese chicken salad ($9.25) is one of the best offerings, redolent with crisp slivers of red and green peppers, carrots, bite-sized crispy wontons, cilantro and nicely tender chunks of chicken. The dressing is bright and tangy.
Chicken artichoke salad ($9.25) comes with creamy goat cheese and plenty of artichoke hearts - although they are the kind from a jar. Salmon niçoise ($10.25) replaces the traditional tuna with a generous slab of moist grilled salmon. There are tiny Niçoise olives, potatoes, green beans, hard-boiled egg and
mixed greens. While I liked the dressing, there was too much of it.
Pastas vary, but the spicy shrimp and angel hair pasta ($10.25) with a roasted garlic tomato sauce is a good choice, as is creamy chicken tomato Alfredo ($9.25). Pizza ($8.95 to $9.50) in three basic flavors is fine, especially if you have kids along.
Fresh baked cookies ($1.75 each, or $2.95 for bars) are a satisfying ending to a meal on the run. You'll also get a thin mint chocolate stick with your bill if you only want a bite of something sweet.
Nordstrom Café
550 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto,
(650) 323-5111
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday,
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
Types of food: Straightforward cafe fare, with some light and kid-friendly choices
Average meal price: About $10
Good choices: Tomato basil soup ($3.50 a bowl), herb roasted salmon ($10.95), California panini ($8.95) with turkey, Swiss cheese, avocado and bacon
Not recommended: Bland crab panini
Attitude: Ultra-friendly and solicitous Nordstrom-style service
Amenities: Booths and windows
Vegetarian options: Soups, salads, fresh fruit bowls, grilled cheese
Drinks: Tea, coffee, soda and juices
Who goes there : Shoppers, the stroller set, business folks on their lunch hour
Credit cards: Yes
Parking: Free lot
Restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously. The Mercury News pays for all meals.
