Woman's actions led to stalker's arrest

By Kimball Perry • kperry@enquirer.com • December 2, 2010

Laurie Russo refused to be a victim.

After receiving the first of several threatening and foul phone calls at her Hyde Park home from an unidentified man, Russo became frightened. When the man called back twice more, she called police, placed locks on her bedroom doors, moved in with a friend for a month and did all she could to protect herself.

Then, she decided she wasn't going to be intimidated by the caller - and she took action.

What she did ultimately resulted in the arrest - and Thursday conviction for stalking - of George Bishop, 68, a University of Cincinnati political science professor who was a complete stranger to Russo.

"I don't know him from the man in the moon," Russo said.

The calls, peppered with crude curse words, threats, her son's name and personal information, led Russo to believe the caller had been on her property.

"You can run but you can't hide. I know your car and I know your license plate. I know everywhere you (expletive) go (expletive), Laurie (expletive)," he said in one call.

"I'll burn your (expletive) house down while you are (expletive) sleeping you (expletives)."

When the calls became increasingly more personal, she became concerned.

"They got progressively angrier and angrier," she said of the calls. "Your heart is racing. He had my name, my address, my phone number."

She grew tired of having to have a man walk her to her home if she arrived after dark and literally hiding behind the bars she had installed on her windows after the calls.

"It's petrifying not to be able to leave your house," Russo said.

She kept records of Bishop's calls, writing down numbers appearing on caller ID. The calls were coming from payphones, most of which were at convenience stores. She put them in a spreadsheet.

She told clerks at the stores what she was doing and why and asked if they would help. When Bishop would call - she never answered the calls, letting them go to voicemail - she'd call the clerks in the different stores, asking if someone was using their payphone.

"You've only got like a minute," Russo said of the time between Bishop's call and her call to the stores.

The clerks didn't spot the caller - until the last time.

She got the last call at 9:31 p.m. Aug. 19. Russo quickly called the Shell station at the intersection of Madison and Edwards roads in Oakley. Two clerks were working. One said there was an older white man in a silver Honda CRV in the parking lot.

The clerk got his license plate number. Police contacted Bishop who refused to cooperate. Police got the video from the store that showed Bishop and sealed the case. Bishop was arrested Sept. 22, the same day he was indicted for stalking.

In court Thursday, Bishop's attorney attributed Bishop's behavior to "acute alcoholism" and asked that he not be sentenced until he completes a 28-day, $30,000 alcohol-rehabilitation program in Minnesota.

Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Linda Calambas and police on the case vigorously objected, saying there was no proof Bishop was enrolled in the program and expressed concerns about his behavior there.

"We're afraid for Ms. Russo and her safety," Calambas said, noting Bishop previously stalked another woman who chose not to prosecute.

Bishop openly stared at Russo in court Thursday, prompting Calambas and Sharon Brumley, another employee in the prosecutor's office, to block Russo from Bishop's line of sight. Common Pleas Court Judge Nadine Allen also noted that Bishop's behavior in court was making Russo uncomfortable.

When he is sentenced Feb. 2, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 18 months.

UC spokesman Greg Hand said Bishop was on leave - not assigned his normal duties - when indicted and remains employed and on leave. Bishop specializes in and has written several books and articles on public opinion and political attitudes.

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