A Texas man made a strange discovery this week, according to reports. He found out that he was married, even though he had not attended his own wedding.
That discovery resulted in a series of events that saw his ex-girlfriend arrested and hit with felony stalking charges.
The 42-year-old man had returned home on June 13 to find a Bath & Body Works gift bag with products inside, according to USA Today. It also contained a certified and embossed copy of the marriage license, which had been filed with the county clerk’s office, as well as a photo of his ex-girlfriend, 46-year-old Kristin Marie Spearman, holding a marriage certificate showing the pair had been married.
There was also a tag that said: “Congrats, maybe call your wife.”
Upon making the discovery, the man quickly contacted the Beverly Hills Police Department in Texas.
According to WFLA, the man and Spearman had been in a relationship and had actually obtained a marriage license on June 2. It said that they broke up before their wedding, however.
KXXV reported that Reverend Lavontis Williams officiated the ceremony and that he admitted that he was misled by Spearman, a longtime friend.
“Kristin presented to me a valid marriage certificate, dated June 2nd. Based on that, and on the friendship we shared, I had no reason to doubt her intentions. I truly believed the relationship was genuine and consensual. I trusted her – not just as a friend, but as someone I thought shared the same values I try to live by. That was my mistake: assuming others would treat something so meaningful with the same reverence and integrity,” he said in a statement, per the outlet.
Williams also said that the situation has become “one of the most painful and humiliating experiences” of his life and he offered to cover $350 annulment fees.
USA Today reported that the reverend was working with police. It also said that it reached out to the McLennan County District Attorney’s Office to see if he will face charges.
Beverly Hills Police Chief Kory Martin said that Spearman convinced Williams to certify the marriage certificate without the groom being present and then went to the County Clerk’s office to file it, according to the WFLA report.
Authorities, including the Hewitt Police Department, eventually located Spearman in her residence near Hewitt, around 10 miles southwest of Wacom Texas. Police obtained a warrant for her arrest on third-degree felony stalking charges and took her into custody, booking her into the McLennan County Jail. As of Wednesday, she had been released on bond but an emergency protective order was in place.
“Making sure this situation does not escalate has been a primary focus,” Martin said Wednesday. He also said that the victim had to make many steps and incur costs to fix the problem.
His department is working with the DA’s office to determine if any other laws were broken related to Spearman’s actions.