WHEN ELDEN BOWEN MET SHIRLEY CASSARA,
HE WAS SURE HE HAD REELED IN THE CATCH OF HIS LIFE.
YOU COULDN'T HAVE ASKED
TO MEET ANYBODY ANY NICER OR ANY SWEETER.
I GENUINELY THINK HE SAW A COMPANION.
ELDEN IS NOT THE TYPE TO REALLY LIKE TO BE ALONE.
BUT SOON AFTER MAKING HER HIS WIFE,
ELDEN CAME FACE-TO-FACE WITH THE REAL SHIRLEY.
SHE CHANGED FROM DR. JEKYLL TO MR. HYDE.
AND HE QUICKLY REALIZED THIS WOMAN
WAS AFTER MUCH MORE THAN JUST HIS HEART.
IT WAS VERY SHOCKING.
YOU JUST WOULDN'T EXPECT AN OLDER LADY
DOING THESE KINDS OF THINGS.
Your turn to hide,
you lowlife, indecent nothing!
WHEN IT COMES TO LOVE AND MARRIAGE,
THINGS AREN'T ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM.
ELDEN BOWEN'S LIFE WAS NEVER COMPLETE
WITHOUT A SPECIAL LADY IN IT.
WELL, I THINK A WOMAN
IS THE BEST THING THAT GOD HAS EVER CREATED.
EVERY MAN WANTS A WOMAN IN HIS LIFE.
TWICE WIDOWED BY AGE 55, THE VIRGINIA GENTLEMAN
FELT LIKE A FISH OUT OF WATER WHEN IT CAME TO DATING.
I WAS VERY SKITTISH
ABOUT EVER GETTING INVOLVED WITH ANOTHER WOMAN,
AND YOU KNOW, I STAYED SINGLE FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT, YOU KNOW, A MAN GETS LONESOME AFTER A WHILE.
BY THE WINTER OF 2003,
ELDEN KNEW HE WAS READY FOR A SPECIAL SOMEONE,
SO HE DECIDED TO ASK A FRIEND FOR SOME HELP.
AND I SAID, "YOU KNOW, I GOT TO FIND ME A GOOD WOMAN,
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY TO SPEND MY TIME WITH."
AND HE SAID, "WELL, I KNOW A REAL NICE LADY.
SHE'S A CHURCHGOER."
I SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW, HOW ABOUT INTRODUCING ME?"
HER NAME WAS SHIRLEY CASSARA.
ELDEN WASTED NO TIME ASKING HER OUT FOR COFFEE.
WELL, WHEN I FIRST SAW HER,
I SAID, "DAMN IT, SHE'S A TINY, LITTLE THING."
SHE WAS ABOUT 8 YEARS OLDER THAN ME,
BUT, YOU KNOW, SHE WAS A VERY ATTRACTIVE LADY.
AND SHE WAS CUTE. SHE WAS.
SHE WAS REAL PETITE...
YOU KNOW, REAL, REAL SMALL, REAL SOFT-SPOKEN.
I SAID, "DAMN," YOU KNOW...
I SAID, "THIS MIGHT BE WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR."
AS ELDEN AND SHIRLEY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER,
THEY REALIZED THEY HAD ONE THING IN COMMON...
THEY HAD BOTH BEEN UNLUCKY IN LOVE.
SHE HAD TOLD ME THAT SHE'D BEEN MARRIED THREE TIMES.
WELL, SHE SAID HER HUSBAND BEFORE ME
WAS A VERY MEAN AND ABUSIVE PERSON...
SAID HE WAS ALWAYS PICKING ON HER, PUSHING HER,
WOULDN'T LET HER DO THIS, WOULDN'T LET HER DO THAT...
WAS VERY CONTROLLING.
THE NEWS THREW ELDEN FOR A LOOP.
I FELT SORRY FOR HER.
YOU KNOW, I SAID, "HOW CAN ANYBODY BE ABUSIVE
TO SOMEBODY THIS SMALL AND THIS FRAGILE?"
BEFORE HE KNEW IT, ELDEN WAS FALLING IN LOVE.
OUR RELATIONSHIP WAS GREAT. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
YOU COULDN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER.
THAT CHRISTMAS EVE,
ELDEN AND SHIRLEY MADE IT OFFICIAL.
THEY WERE MARRIED IN A QUAINT COUNTRY CHAPEL.
SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL. SHE HAD ON A NICE SUIT.
SHE LOOKED FABULOUS TO ME.
I WAS REAL HAPPY THAT WE GOT MARRIED.
AND WE WENT BACK HOME, AND WE WAS TEENAGERS AGAIN, YOU KNOW?
ELDEN WAS ON CLOUD NINE,
AND HE WAS MORE THAN HAPPY
TO GIVE HIS NEW WIFE ANYTHING SHE WANTED.
SO WHEN SHIRLEY ASKED
THAT HE ADD HER NAME TO THE DEED ON HIS HOUSE,
ELDEN DIDN'T HESITATE TO SAY "YES,"
AND HE DIDN'T STOP THERE.
SHE HAD HER CHECKING ACCOUNT, AND I HAD MINE.
I SAID, "WELL, I DON'T REALLY WANT
TO GET ON YOUR CHECKING ACCOUNT,"
I SAID, "BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT YOU ON MINE.
AND THAT WAY, YOU CAN PAY THE BILLS AND STUFF
WHEN I'M NOT HERE."
IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME.
I LOVED HER, AND SHE WAS MY WIFE.
AND IF YOU AIN'T GOT LOVE AND TRUST IN A MARRIAGE,
THEN YOU DON'T HAVE NOTHING.
BUT JUST TWO MONTHS LATER,
ELDEN BEGAN TO SEE A WHOLE NEW SIDE OF HIS SWEET LITTLE WIFE.
SHIRLEY... SHE STARTED CHANGING.
IT WAS LIKE A DIFFERENT PERSON.
AND IT WAS JUST ALMOST LIKE IT WAS OVERNIGHT.
AND IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THE REAL HER
WAS COMING OUT.
SHIRLEY SUDDENLY MORPHED
FROM ADORABLE TO ANGRY.
SHE WAS SCREAMING AND YELLING,
CUSSING ME, CALLING ME EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD.
I TOLD MY DAD THAT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT.
WHO WAS SHIRLEY CASSARA, REALLY?
IT WOULDN'T BE LONG
BEFORE EVERYONE WOULD LEARN THE DISTURBING TRUTH.
I NEVER THOUGHT YOU HAD TO CHECK SOMEBODY'S RECORD
BEFORE YOU MARRY THEM.
YOU JUST DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE LIKE THAT,
AND ESPECIALLY NICE LITTLE OLD LADIES.
BY EARLY 2005, ELDEN BOWEN
WAS SURE HE'D HIT THE GOLD MINE WITH HIS NEW WIFE, SHIRLEY.
SHE WAS AN EXCELLENT COOK.
SHE KEPT THE HOUSE NICE.
YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER.
BUT THE HONEYMOON WAS SHORT-LIVED.
JUST TWO MONTHS AFTER SAYING "I DO,"
THINGS QUICKLY WENT DOWNHILL FOR THE NEWLYWEDS.
WELL, AS SOON AS I PUT HER NAME
ON THE DEED AND ON MY CHECKING ACCOUNTS,
WELL, THAT'S WHEN SHE STARTED CHANGING.
MY DAD TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE ARGUING A LITTLE BIT MORE
AND THINGS WEREN'T GOING RIGHT.
AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT JUST SEEMED LIKE SHE WAS TRYING
TO START AN ARGUMENT, YOU KNOW, OVER NOTHING.
YOU KNOW, I'D COME HOME WITH ONE EVENING
AFTER HAVING A BEER WITH MY FRIENDS,
AND TO ME, IT WASN'T NO BIG DEAL...
BEING 10, 20 MINUTES LATE, BUT SHE FLEW OFF THE HANDLE.
SHE HAD SUPPER ON THE STOVE...
...GOT MAD, DUMPS EVERYTHING IN THE SINK.
I SAID, "WELL, MAYBE SHE'S HAVING A BAD DAY, YOU KNOW?"
BUT SHIRLEY'S BAD DAYS
QUICKLY BEGAN TO OUTNUMBER HER GOOD ONES.
SHE WOULD FOLLOW HIM AROUND.
EVEN IF HE'D GO OUT AND GET ON THE LAWN MOWER AND CUT GRASS,
SHE'D BE WALKING BESIDE THE LAWN MOWER, FUSSING WITH HIM.
FOR NO BIGGER THAN WHAT SHE WAS,
SHE WOULD GET RIGHT UP IN YOUR FACE.
SHE HAD A TEMPER.
SHE WOULD CUSS WHEN SHE WAS MAD,
BUT THEN SHE'D GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY,
AND EVERYTHING WAS FORGIVEN.
ELDEN DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO MAKE
OF SHIRLEY'S BIZARRE MOOD SWINGS.
AND AS THE WEEKS WORE ON, THINGS JUST WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE.
WE GOT IN A HEATED DISCUSSION ONE DAY.
I SAID, "YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO ARGUE ABOUT IT."
SO, WHEN I GOT OUT OF THE SHOWER, SHE WAS GONE.
ELDEN GOT DRESSED AND WENT OUTSIDE,
AND THAT'S WHEN HE GOT A NASTY SURPRISE.
SOMEONE HAD KEYED HIS TRUCK.
ELDEN SUSPECTED SHIRLEY.
SHE GOT BACK, AND I WAS A LITTLE HOT ABOUT THAT.
SHIRLEY FLATLY DENIED IT
AND BLAMED THE DAMAGE ON NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS.
BUT ELDEN WASN'T BUYING IT.
WE LIVED IN A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD,
AND I'VE NEVER HAD NO KIDS COME IN MY DRIVEWAY
TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I SAID, "YEAH, SOME BIG DAMN KID WITH AN ATTITUDE."
DESPITE HIS MISGIVINGS,
ELDEN BRUSHED THE INCIDENT OFF.
HE COULD NEVER HAVE GUESSED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN
JUST A FEW WEEKS LATER.
I WAS WATCHING SOMETHING ON TV,
AND SHE WAS GETTING IN FRONT OF THE TV,
WANTED TO... WANTED TO TALK.
I SAID, "WELL, WE CAN TALK, BUT I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE."
YOU KNOW, "WELL, YOU THINK MORE ABOUT THAT BLANK TV
THAN YOU DO ME!"
I SAID, "WELL, AT THIS POINT, YES, I DO."
FRUSTRATED, ELDEN WENT OUTSIDE TO COLLECT HIS THOUGHTS.
A FEW MINUTES LATER,
HE WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A PATROL CAR TURN INTO HIS DRIVEWAY.
THE COPS GOT OUT OF THE CAR,
AND I SAID, "YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON?"
THEY SAID, "WELL, SPOUSAL ABUSE."
ELDEN WAS FLABBERGASTED.
SHIRLEY HAD CALLED THE COPS AND ACCUSED HIM OF ABUSING HER.
I SAID, "WELL, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
I SAID, "I'VE NEVER RAISED A HAND TO HER."
WELL, WHAT SHE DID...
IT LOOKED LIKE SHE TOOK AN EARRING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT,
AND SHE PUT A LITTLE SCRATCH ON HER FOREARM.
SHIRLEY'S ACT WAS CONVINCING.
THE OFFICERS PUT ELDEN UNDER ARREST.
I SAID, "FOR WHAT?"
I SAID, "I DID NOTHING, OTHER THAN WE'VE BEEN ARGUING."
POLICE HAULED A CONFUSED ELDEN AWAY
TO THE LOCAL JAIL.
ONCE THERE, THEY ALLOWED HIM ONE PHONE CALL.
ABOUT 11:00 AT NIGHT,
MY DAD CALLED ME FROM GLOUCESTER COUNTY JAIL,
SAID THAT SHIRLEY HAD HAD HIM ARRESTED.
I ASKED HIM, "WHAT FOR?"
HE SAID SHE HAD HIM ARRESTED ON SPOUSAL-ABUSE CHARGES.
I JUST KNEW HE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING TO HER.
JOSH IMMEDIATELY POSTED BAIL,
AND THE POLICE LET ELDEN GO,
BUT THEY ALSO SLAPPED HIM WITH A RESTRAINING ORDER.
THEY WOULDN'T LET HIM GO BACK TO THE HOUSE
WITHOUT AN ESCORT,
SO WE MET A COUPLE OF POLICE OFFICERS.
THEY FOLLOWED US TO THE HOUSE.
HE GOT 15 MINUTES TO GO IN, GET HIS STUFF,
WHICH WAS AS MUCH AS HE COULD GRAB,
WHICH, AT THE TIME, WASN'T NOTHING BUT CLOTHES.
AFTER WE GOT ALL MY DAD'S STUFF, WE STOPPED BY THE BANK,
SO MY DAD COULD GET SOME MONEY OUT OF THE ATM.
AND THAT'S WHEN ELDEN'S AWFUL EVENING
GOT EVEN WORSE.
HE SHOULD HAVE HAD MORE THAN $1,000 IN THE BANK,
BUT THE MONEY WAS GONE.
WELL, I HAD 78 CENTS IN THE BANK,
AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE.
YOU KNOW, I SAID, "THERE'S...
I KNOW THERE'S GOT TO BE MONEY THERE."
CONFUSED AND EXHAUSTED,
ELDEN CALLED IT A NIGHT.
WITH NOWHERE ELSE TO GO,
HE TEMPORARILY MOVED IN WITH HIS SON.
AFTER A COUPLE DAYS, I WENT TO THE CREDIT UNION
TO FIND OUT WHY I DIDN'T HAVE NO MONEY.
AND THAT'S WHEN ELDEN FOUND OUT
JUST HOW DEVIOUS SHIRLEY HAD BEEN.
THEY PULLED UP MY ACCOUNT,
AND THEN THEY PULLED UP HER ACCOUNT.
THE DAY BEFORE SHE ARRESTED ME,
SHE WENT DOWN AND WITHDREW ALL THE MONEY EXCEPT FOR 78 CENTS...
TRANSFERRED IT FROM MY ACCOUNT TO HER ACCOUNT.
I SAID, "WELL, THAT WAS PRETTY SLICK," YOU KNOW?
SEVERAL DAYS LATER,
ELDEN WENT TO COURT TO ANSWER FOR SHIRLEY'S CHARGES OF ABUSE.
DESPITE HIS CLAIMS OF INNOCENCE,
THE JUDGE ISSUED A 2-YEAR PROTECTIVE ORDER AGAINST HIM.
HE WASN'T TO BE WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF HER OR THE PROPERTY,
WHICH WAS HIS HOUSE, WHICH WAS HIS PROPERTY.
I WASN'T ALLOWED BACK IN MY OWN HOUSE THAT I PURCHASED
BEFORE I PUT HER NAME ON ANYTHING.
I SAID, "WELL, YOUR HONOR, IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THAT," I SAID,
"YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT A LIFETIME,
BECAUSE I'M FILING FOR DIVORCE AS SOON AS WE WALK OUT OF HERE."
BUT LEAVING SHIRLEY WOULD NOT BE EASY.
ELDEN WOULD SOON REALIZE
HE HAD COMPLETELY UNDERESTIMATED HIS SWEET LITTLE WIFE.
Your turn to hide.
You don't have enough manhood in you,
you lowlife, indecent nothing!
BY LATE 2005,
ELDEN BOWEN HAD BEEN THROUGH THE WRINGER,
THANKS TO HIS SCHEMING WIFE, SHIRLEY.
SHE GOT CONTROL OF THE HOUSE.
SHE GOT CONTROL OF THE CHECKING ACCOUNT.
SHE GOT CONTROL OF THE MONEY.
I TRUSTED HER, AND I LOVED HER, YOU KNOW?
AND THAT... THAT WAS, I GUESS, MY DOWNFALL.
BY NOW, ELDEN
WAS LIVING WITH HIS SON AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
AFTER SHIRLEY HAD KICKED HIM OUT OF HIS OWN HOME.
THAT REALLY PUT A LOAD ON HIM.
HE WAS CONSTANTLY TELLING JOSH AND I, YOU KNOW,
"I'M SORRY I HAVE TO STAY HERE,"
YOU KNOW, "I'M SORRY I HAVE TO DEPEND ON YOU."
IT WAS LIKE SHELL SHOCK FOR HIM.
ELDEN WAS MORE THAN READY FOR A DIVORCE,
BUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA
REQUIRED A 12-MONTH SEPARATION FIRST.
SO WHILE ELDEN TRIED TO GET ON WITH HIS LIFE,
SHIRLEY SEEMED DETERMINED NOT TO LET HIM.
SHE WOULD DRIVE BY THE HOUSE AT ALL HOURS OF THE NIGHT.
WE'D SEE HER RIDING BY.
SHE STARTED RINGING THE PHONE CONSTANTLY,
UP TO 20 TIMES A DAY.
SHE WOULD JUST RING THE PHONE, RING THE PHONE, RING THE PHONE.
SHE TRIED TO HAVE 20 PIZZAS DELIVERED TO MY HOUSE.
SHE WAS, YOU KNOW...
JUST ALL THESE THINGS TO JUST POKE, POKE, POKE.
"YES, I'M HERE. YES, I'M HERE.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT LEAVING YOU ALONE."
First saved message.
SHE WOULD CALL MY DAD,
KNOWING THAT SHE HAD A PROTECTION ORDER AGAINST HIM.
Elden, I'm trying to find out where you are.
I don't know why we can't at least talk.
ONE TIME, HE ANSWERED THE PHONE,
TALKED TO HER FOR A COUPLE MINUTES.
SHE FILED A CHARGE AGAINST HIM
FOR BREAKING THE PROTECTION ORDER, WHEN SHE CALLED HIM.
Received October 18th.
Your turn to hide.
You're so damn by your family that you're afraid
to even let them know that you care for your own wife.
I GOT STRESSED OUT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS TRYING TO DO.
AND I THINK SHE WAS TRYING TO REALLY STRESS ME OUT.
I'VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO WORRY ABOUT SMALL STUFF,
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT TOOK ITS TOLL.
You don't have enough manhood in you,
you lowlife, indecent nothing!
ELDEN DID HIS BEST
TO IGNORE SHIRLEY'S BIZARRE BEHAVIOR,
BUT SHIRLEY COULDN'T LEAVE WELL ENOUGH ALONE.
THAT SPRING, SHE MADE A DEVASTATING MOVE.
THE FRIEND WHO'D INTRODUCED SHIRLEY AND I
CALLED ME
AND TOLD ME THAT SHIRLEY WAS GETTING RID OF MY STUFF.
EVERYTHING HE OWNED WAS IN THE HOUSE,
AND SHE HAD THE PROTECTION ORDER AGAINST HIM,
TO WHERE HE COULDN'T BE ON THAT PROPERTY.
ALL... ALL OF MY POSSESSIONS
THAT... THAT I HAD...
EITHER SHE SOLD OR SHE GAVE AWAY.
MY BOAT'S GONE.
MY ATV's GONE... ALL MY TOOLS.
IT WAS THE MOST EMPTY FEELING I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE,
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT YOUR SHIRT ON YOUR BACK,
AND THAT'S IT.
EVERYTHING'S GONE.
I DIDN'T EVEN A SPOON.
THE STRESS GOT THE BETTER OF ELDEN.
HE SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK AND LOST HIS JOB.
THAT'S WHEN I STARTED REALLY GETTING DEPRESSED,
AND I'VE NEVER BEEN DEPRESSED MY WHOLE LIFE.
I HAD NO IDEA that SHIRLEY
WAS GONNA PUT ME THROUGH WHAT SHE DID.
FINALLY, IN MAY OF 2006,
AFTER A YEAR OF SEPARATION,
ELDEN WAS ABLE TO FILE FOR DIVORCE,
BUT HE NEVER EXPECTED SHIRLEY'S REACTION.
SHE JUST WOULDN'T SIGN ANY DIVORCE PAPERS.
THEY HAD A DEPUTY TAKE THEM TO HER.
SHE WOULDN'T SIGN THEM.
THEY HAD THE COURT SUBPOENA HER.
SHE WOULDN'T SIGN THEM.
I SAID, "OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW,
"IF THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GONNA BE...
"YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN SEPARATED GOING ON A YEAR NOW.
"EVENTUALLY, SHE MIGHT FIND SOMEBODY
"SHE WANTS TO GET SERIOUS WITH AGAIN,
AND SHE'LL SIGN MY DIVORCE PAPERS."
AS DIFFICULT AS IT WAS,
ELDEN TRIED TO PUT THE WHOLE MISERABLE EXPERIENCE BEHIND HIM.
THAT'S WHEN I JUST LET EVERYTHING GO.
I WAS READY TO GO ON ABOUT MY WAY
AND JUST REBUILD MY LIFE AGAIN.
BUT A YEAR LATER,
DISTURBING RUMORS BEGAN SWIRLING AROUND TOWN,
AND ELDEN AND HIS FAMILY
REALIZED THEIR ORDEAL WAS FAR FROM OVER.
WE HEARD THAT SHE WAS OUT WITH THIS OTHER GUY, DANCING,
AND SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT SHE WAS GONNA GET MARRIED AGAIN.
SO WE DECIDED TO JUST KIND OF START LOOKING
AT... AT PUBLIC COURT RECORDS
AND FOUND OUT SHE HAD GOTTEN MARRIED AGAIN
AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO GET A DIVORCE.
JOSH WAS SHOCKED.
SHIRLEY HAD REMARRIED
WHILE SHE WAS STILL LEGALLY MARRIED TO ELDEN.
I SAID, "WHAT IN THE WORLD'S GOING ON HERE?"
YOU KNOW, I SAID, "I WANT MY DIVORCE FIRST."
AT HIS WITS' END, ELDEN WENT TO SEE A DETECTIVE.
I SAID, "SHE NEVER SIGNED MY DIVORCE PAPERS."
I SAID, "NOW, WHAT WOULD THAT BE?"
I SAID, "WOULDN'T THAT BE BIGAMY IF SHE GOT REMARRIED?"
THE DETECTIVE PULLED UP SHIRLEY'S RECORD
AND QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THIS WAS MUCH MORE
THAN JUST A SIMPLE CASE OF BIGAMY.
I WAS WONDERING HOW SHE WAS KEEPING IT ALL SECRET.
IT SEEMED THERE WAS MUCH MORE
TO THIS LITTLE OLD LADY THAN ANYONE COULD HAVE IMAGINED.
THERE WAS INVESTIGATIONS
INTO BIGAMY, PERJURY, AND FINANCIAL CRIMES.
SHIRLEY SEEMS TO HAVE PERFECTED HER SCAM OVER THE YEARS.
BY THE WINTER OF 2007,
IT WAS BECOMING CLEAR THAT SHIRLEY CASSARA
WAS NOT AT ALL WHO SHE SEEMED.
SHIRLEY LOOKED LIKE A VERY SWEET OLDER LADY...
SHE SURE DID, BUT HER LOOKS WERE DEFINITELY DECEIVING.
INVESTIGATORS DISCOVERED THAT SHIRLEY'S PAST
WAS LITTERED WITH A STRING OF HUSBANDS,
SOME OF THEM OVERLAPPING.
I FOUND OUT, YOU KNOW,
THAT SHE WAS STILL MARRIED WHEN WE GOT MARRIED.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT SHE HAD REMARRIED AFTER ME,
DIVORCED HIM, AND THEN GOT REMARRIED AGAIN.
MY DAD THOUGHT SHE HAD ONLY BEEN MARRIED LIKE FOUR TIMES.
THAT'S WHAT WAS ON THEIR MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE.
BUT WE FIND OUT THAT IT'S BEEN ACTUALLY 10 TIMES
SHE WAS MARRIED.
ELDEN HAD BEEN SHIRLEY'S EIGHTH HUSBAND,
NOT HER FOURTH, AS SHE'D CLAIMED.
I FELT THEN THAT THIS WAS A GAME THAT SHE WAS PLAYING.
IT MADE ME RIGHT DISTURBED.
BUT THAT WASN'T ALL.
WHEN INVESTIGATORS INTERVIEWED SHIRLEY'S 10th HUSBAND,
HIS TALE SOUNDED EERILY FAMILIAR.
PRIOR TO THIS, HE'D BEEN MARRIED FOR 32 YEARS.
HIS WIFE PASSED AWAY.
AND HE WAS LONELY, AND HE MET SHIRLEY ONLINE.
ONCE THEY WERE MARRIED, WITHIN FOUR DAYS,
SHE WAS ALREADY CALLING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE
HERE IN GLOUCESTER
AND REPORTING THAT HE IS ASSAULTING HER.
WHILE HUSBAND NUMBER 10 WAS IN JAIL,
SHIRLEY WIPED OUT HIS BANK ACCOUNT.
AND HUSBAND NUMBER 7 CLAIMS THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HIM, TOO.
SHIRLEY FOUND GENTLEMEN, STARTED DATING THEM,
AND EVENTUALLY MARRYING THEM.
ONCE THEY WERE MARRIED IS WHEN HER ATTITUDE WOULD CHANGE,
AND THAT'S WHEN THE ALLEGATIONS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
WOULD START.
THE HUSBANDS WOULD BE ARRESTED.
PROTECTIVE ORDERS WOULD BE OBTAINED.
SHE MANAGED TO GET HER NAME PUT ON PROPERTIES,
ONTO BANK ACCOUNTS,
AND SHE WOULD COMPLETELY CLEAN THEM ALL OUT.
BY 2010, AFTER A 2-YEAR INVESTIGATION,
DETECTIVES IN THREE DIFFERENT COUNTIES
HAD ASSEMBLED A THICK FILE ON SHIRLEY.
HER CRIMES RAN THE GAMUT... EMBEZZLEMENT, BIGAMY, AND FRAUD.
SHIRLEY WAS SOMEBODY YOU LOOK AT AND THINK "GRANDMA."
IT WAS VERY SHOCKING.
SHIRLEY WAS ARRESTED ON JULY 15, 2010.
MADE ME FEEL GOOD. IT REALLY MADE ME FEEL GOOD.
WHAT SHE'D DONE... SHE PUT ME IN SUCH A BIND,
YOU KNOW, AFTER LOSING MY JOB, LOSING MY HOUSE,
GETTING STRESSED OUT, AND GOING HALF-CRAZY...
YOU KNOW, WHAT SHE DID WAS WRONG.
IN APRIL 2011,
AFTER A TRIAL THAT WAS THE TALK OF THE TOWN...
THAT IS THE MEANEST LITTLE WOMAN
THAT I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED IN MY LIFE.
...SHIRLEY WAS SENTENCED TO ONE YEAR IN JAIL
FOR BIGAMY.
IN JULY OF THAT SAME YEAR,
SHE WAS SENTENCED TO ANOTHER YEAR FOR EMBEZZLEMENT.
SHE BECAME KNOWN AS "THE GOLD-DIGGING GRANDMA"
IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
I DON'T THINK SHIRLEY COULD LOVE ANYBODY BUT HERSELF.
HER ONLY EQUAL IN LIFE WAS WHEN SHE LOOKED IN THE MIRROR.
EVERYBODY ELSE... YOU WERE JUST AN OBJECT.
TODAY, ELDEN LIVES IN A SMALL APARTMENT
CLOSE TO HIS SON, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW,
AND HIS BELOVED GRANDKIDS.
HE HAS PLANS TO FILE
A CIVIL SUIT AGAINST SHIRLEY IN THE FUTURE
AND HOPES TO RECOUP SOME OF WHAT HE LOST.
I MAY NEVER GET IT ALL BACK,
BUT IT WILL BE NICE TO GET SOME, IF NOT MOST OF IT BACK.
HE'S ALSO TAKEN ON ANOTHER MISSION...
TO WARN UNSUSPECTING MEN ABOUT SHIRLEY'S SCHEMES.
AS FAR AS SHIRLEY GOES, THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY...
GUYS, WATCH OUT, BECAUSE SHE HASN'T STOPPED.
SHE'S PROBABLY ALREADY GOT PEN PALS IN PRISON.
ELDEN READILY ADMITS
HE'S NOT TOO SURE ABOUT DATING AGAIN,
BUT THEN AGAIN, THERE ARE PLENTY OF FISH IN THE SEA.
WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF SINGLE WOMEN IN HERE MY AGE,
AND I FLIRT WITH THEM, AND I TALK TO THEM,
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD EVER MARRY ONE OR NOT, YOU KNOW?