Houston man charged with bigamy after wife found out about second marriage on Facebook, documents show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A Houston woman told ABC13 she found out through social media that her husband was remarrying while he was still married to her.

Marcus Andra Shorten, 53, is charged with bigamy but has not been arrested.

According to court records, Houston police found two marriage certificates, but no divorce decree.

“You can’t lie and deceive people for your own satisfaction,” said Tammie, who married Shorten in 2012 and asked ABC13 to use only her first name.

She said the couple separated in 2019, but they never divorced because the man did not want his family to think he was a “failure.” Tammie was his third wife.

Then, last December, Tammie said she was surprised by the news of a new wedding registry, and she let him know.

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

According to the registry, Shorten and his last wife were married in January. ABC13 also found that marriage certificate.

In a phone interview on Wednesday, Shorten denied being married to anyone and said he was unaware of the accusation.

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

Lawyers say the bigamy charge is rare. It is a third-degree felony that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.