On June 23, Lorena Bobbitt, 24, of Prince William County, Va., told police that she cut off her husband's penis with a kitchen knife after he allegedly raped her. The severed organ was retrieved from the side of a road and reattached to John Wayne Bobbitt, 26.
He was acquitted on the rape charge. At year's end, she faced trial on maiming charges. Lawyers said she would probably tell the court that she was driven temporarily insane by the brutal treatment of her husband.
Mr. Bobbitt said in late December he had tried to have sex with an old girlfriend and failed. Doctors have said it will take up to two years for his penis to heal and he may never have full sexual function again.
For days, the Bobbitt story was the talk of the nation. Among men, the reaction was visceral. Many women were fascinated by the reactions of males.
The New Yorker magazine, which uses its cartoons to reflect the moods and concerns of Americans, ran three cartoons about severed penises in one issue.
Mr. Bobbitt was paid to appear on radio and television talk shows.
