Man charged with stalking singer Lavigne

By Jennifer Sullivan
Times Snohomish County bureau

Avril Lavigne says she's fearful of man charged with stalking her.

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EVERETT — A 30-year-old Lynnwood man was charged yesterday with stalking punk-pop singer Avril Lavigne.

Snohomish County prosecutors said they've been investigating the case since soon after James Speedy's arrest April 7, hours before the Grammy-nominated singer was to give a free concert at Westfield Shoppingtown Southcenter.

When questioned by Lynnwood police earlier this year, Speedy said he sent letters, flowers, wine and e-mails to Lavigne, her family and her managers because he was fascinated by the 19-year-old singer.

Last summer he flew to Ontario and was arrested across the street from Lavigne's parents' home; according to a search warrant, Speedy told Canadian authorities that he traveled there to become a part of Lavigne's family.

Lynnwood Police Sgt. Steve Rider said that over the past year Lavigne and her family have told him they're fearful of Speedy. Lavigne's publicist couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.

Contacted Thursday, Speedy declined to comment on the allegations.

"It's certainly not the typical stalking case," said Wayne Fricke, Speedy's attorney. "I'm confident that he's not a risk to anyone and certainly not to this young woman." Fricke said his client is "certainly a fan" of Lavigne's. He said Speedy "exercised poor judgment" in showing his adoration for the star but doubts Speedy's actions can be considered stalking.

In a letter sent June 24, 2003, Speedy told Lavigne that his wife told him "the letters I send you may be causing a great deal of concern for you and your family." He said his wife compared his behavior with "something that a stalker might be prone to do."

In the same letter, Speedy conceded his wife might be right. At the end of the letter, Speedy told Lavigne that he would not contact her or her parents again, according to the warrant.

Canadian authorities didn't learn about Speedy's alleged obsession until after Lavigne's parents received several letters, flowers and wine.
 
But on July 17, 2003, when the family received what Speedy called a "courtesy notification" that he would be visiting Napanee, Ontario, the singer's parents called their local police, according to the Lynnwood warrant.

That day, Canadian authorities arrested Speedy outside the Lavignes' house in Napanee. Police drove him to the airport and let him return freely to the United States under the condition that he leave the singer and her family alone. He also was required to stay out of Canada for one year, said Sgt. Kip Wohlert of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Wohlert said he hasn't heard any reports of Speedy returning to Canada since he was arrested. He said he hasn't heard reports that Speedy has contacted Lavigne or her family since he was arrested by Lynnwood police. Though Canadian authorities warned Speedy to stay away from the singer, he sent e-mails to her managers in March asking for information about Lavigne's Southcenter concert. Speedy offered restaurant advice and promised that he had changed. He wrote that he wanted to make sure Lavigne was "comfortable" with him attending the concert, according to the Lynnwood search warrant.

Papers filed yesterday in Snohomish County Superior Court specify these two e-mails, sent March 8 and 10, prompted the stalking charge, a felony.

When Lynnwood police searched Speedy's home April 7, they found songs and letters addressed to Lavigne. They also found a shotgun, an assault rifle and a handgun, according to charging papers.

Jennifer Sullivan: 425-783-0604 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com