North End woman who was shot had sought protection, family says

Family members of the woman who was shot Saturday in her backyard say she went “numerous times” to the Ada County Courthouse and to Boise police to seek a court order against a man she said was stalking her.

Twice she had her request denied, the family members said.

It is unclear how police and prosecutors responded to her requests, but it is clear that they never got to a judge’s bench.

Fourth District Trial Court Administrator Larry Reiner told the Idaho Statesman that there is no record that the victim, Makaela Zabel-Gravatt, 32, filed a petition for either a civil protection order or a restraining order for stalking against Christopher L. Wirfs, 35, who is charged with shooting her.

Boise police declined to say what contact officers might have had with Zabel-Gravatt before the shooting. Police referred questions to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. Daniel Dinger, the deputy prosecutor on the case, did not respond to telephone and email requests this week.

There are two types of legal protection Zabel-Gravatt might have sought under Idaho law:

From information made public, Zabel-Gravatt, 32, and Wirfs had a professional relationship: Wirfs was a client of hers at Ambitions Nail and Hair Studio at 6968 W. State St. in Boise, where Zabel-Gravatt is a cosmetologist.

A no-contact order was issued Monday, after Wirfs was arraigned on charges of felony aggravated battery, use of a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. Ada County Magistrate Theresa Gardunia ordered Wirfs to have no contact with Zabel-Gravatt and a person who witnessed the shooting.

In court on Monday, Dinger said Wirfs left a voice message for Zabel-Gravatt in which he threatened to shoot her. The prosecutor did not detail when the message was left, only that it came in the “weeks leading up” to the shooting. He said Boise police officers listened to the message and confirmed that it came from Wirfs.

Dinger said Wirfs showed up Saturday at Ambitions Salon and was asked to leave. Later, he went to Zabel-Gravatt’s home in the 700 block of West Resseguie Street and shot Zabel-Gravatt at least twice, the prosecutor said.

Zabel-Gravatt spent five days in a local hospital and was released Wednesday, a family member said.

Wirfs is scheduled for a preliminary hearing next Friday, Sept. 25, before Judge Michael Oths. He is being held in the Ada County Jail on $1 million bail.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 6:21 PM with the headline "North End woman who was shot had sought protection, family says."