Houston man charged with bigamy after wife finds out about 2nd wedding through Facebook: Records

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Houston woman discovered through social media that her husband was planning to remarry while still married to her, she told.

Marcus Andra Shorten, 53, is facing a charge of bigamy, though he has not yet been arrested.

Houston police found two marriage licenses for Shorten but no divorce decree, according to court records.

“You can’t go around lying and misleading individuals for your own satisfaction,” said Tammie, who married Shorten in 2012 and requested that use only her first name.

Tammie said the couple separated in 2019, but they never divorced because Shorten didn’t want his family to see him as a “failure.” Tammie was his third wife.

Last December, Tammie was blindsided when she learned about a new wedding registry. She immediately informed him.

“I told him, ‘Before you let the whole world know what you’re doing, make sure your business is right,'” Tammie said.

Despite this, Shorten and his new wife reportedly got married in January, as confirmed by another marriage license found.

On Wednesday, Shorten denied being married to anyone and claimed he was unaware of the bigamy charge during a phone call.

“It’s not like you don’t know what a divorce is because you’ve been married several times before,” Tammie said.

According to legal experts, bigamy charges are rare. It is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.