Bobby Glass worked for Catawba County

Robert “Bobby” Frederick Glass was a 45-year-old computer analyst who worked for the Catawba County, North Carolina, government. According to the Washington Post, Bobby was a productive worker who was responsible for programming tax rolls and keeping track of the gas consumption of county vehicles. He worked for Catawba County for almost 16 years.

Bobby was also a computer enthusiast according to Sherri, his wife of 14 years. But in an interview with the Washington Post, she lamented that he had more passion for his hard drive than his marriage. Sherri Glass stated in an interview that her husband had lost his attraction for her. Sherri said the “final straw” was when her children asked why their father didn’t love her any longer. In May 1996, Bobby and Sherri separated. Shortly thereafter, Sherri moved from the family home with their three children, daughters aged 10 and 7, and a son, 6.

It may have been more than a lack of love that caused the breakup of the Glass family. According to Sherri Glass, there were other marital problems that few had known about. Daily, Bobby had spent countless hours typing on his computer, and Sherri eventually became suspicious. One day she logged on and found worrisome e-mails saved on the hard disk. The messages, she told the Washington Post, which had been posted under the pseudonyms Toyman and Slowhand, alarmed her because of their “raw, violent and disturbing” nature.

After dinner one evening, she confronted her husband. Sherri later said that “all of the color had drained out of his face.”  She realized that there was “this side to him” that was unknown to her. Despite this alarming discovery, Sherri recalled him as generally pleasant, hard working and amiable.