Man's second marriage revealed on Facebook lands him bigamy charges

A Texas man finds himself at the center of a bigamy scandal after his third wife uncovered his plans to marry another woman through a Facebook post, despite never finalizing their divorce. Marcus Shorten, 53, now faces criminal charges for allegedly attempting to enter into his fourth marriage while still legally wed to his current spouse.

According to local news outlet KTRK, Shorten married Tammie in 2012. The couple separated after seven years but never officially divorced. Tammie reported that they occasionally discussed going through the legal proceedings to end their marriage, but Shorten was hesitant.

"I didn't want a divorce. I'm getting me some help, Tammie. I don't want a divorce. I don't want my family to think of me as a failure," Tammie claims her husband told her.

The situation took a dramatic turn in December when Tammie stumbled upon a wedding registry for Shorten and another woman. Shocked by the discovery, she confronted her husband about the planned nuptials.

"I told him, 'Before you let the whole world know what you're doing, make sure your business is right,'" Tammie told KTRK.

Despite this warning, Shorten proceeded with the wedding. Records show Shorten tied the knot again on January 27th at a local church in Houston. The man, with a history of four marriages, marked his wedding day in 1991, 2000, 2012, and 2024.

Tammie told the police about her husband's actions because she knew how serious the problem was and how polygamy could affect her legally. "I knew it was wrong. You not only have destroyed my life, but now you have destroyed somebody else's life and all the parties that are involved in it," she explained.

Tammie expressed her feelings of betrayal and criticized her husband for his actions. "You can't go around lying and misleading individuals for your self-satisfaction," she added. She also pointed out that given his history of multiple marriages, Shorten should have been familiar with proper divorce proceedings.

Court records indicate that Shorten has been charged with bigamy, a rare felony offense. So far, the cops haven't arrested him. Shorten told KTRK he was not married to anyone and had no knowledge of any charges.

Getting married twice without divorcing? That's a big no-no in the US; it is heavily frowned upon and can result in significant consequences. If the judge gives him a harsh punishment, Shorten could face ten years in prison.