Hollandale Man Pleads Not Guilty To Bigamy Charge | Crime

A Hollandale man faces a rare charge in Freeborn County. He's been charged for being married to two women at the same time. The Freeborn County Attorney says this is an unusual case in Minnesota.

It's something long time Freeborn County Attorney Craig Nelson has never dealt with before. “I have practiced law here in Freeborn County for 35 years and I can't remember ever dealing with a person or case where a person had been charged with bigamy,” said Nelson.

In Freeborn County court Monday afternoon, Wayne Demay plead not guilty to a felony charge of bigamy.

"Based upon the information that was presented to me in the investigation that was done in this case, it appeared that we had an appropriate case to charge, and so I charged it,” said Nelson.

According to the criminal complaint, Demay's first wife told the Freeborn County Sheriff's Office that she married Wayne Demay in 2003. About a month after the marriage, she claims he left and she didn't hear from him again. Demay's first wife told investigators she tracked him down because she wanted to get divorced so that she could re-marry.

"When a person contracts marriage it is not only a promise and a vow, but it is also a legal document that requires some prerequisite. One, that you are free to marry,” said Nelson.

So how could something like this slip through the cracks? "You're not required to show proof of the dissolution of a prior marriage, the divorce that may have occurred before. You simply sign a document that says you are not,” said Nelson.

When investigators approached Demay, he told them he was intoxicated at the time of his first wedding.  According to the complaint, they had a big wedding with lots of family present.

ABC 6 NEWS went to the home of the man in Hollandale but both he, and who appeared to be his spouse, denied to speak with us.