Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Woman who married her mother after they 'hit it off' convicted of incest

Misty Spann was raised by her grandmother after Patricia Spann lost custody but they were reunited as adults

Chris Baynes
Friday 10 November 2017 16:40 GMT
Comments
Daughter and mother Misty and Patricia Spann illegally married
Daughter and mother Misty and Patricia Spann illegally married (Facebook)

A woman who married her own mother after they "hit it off" has pleaded guilty to incest.

Misty Spann, 26, was raised by her grandmother after her 44-year-old mother Patricia Spann lost custody of her three children.

The pair reunited in 2014 and began an incestuous relationship. They married in March 2016 in Comanche County, Oklahoma.

Authorities uncovered their relationship during a child welfare investigation five months later.

Detectives subsequently learned Patricia had also married her son in 2008. He filed for an annulment 15 months later citing “incest”, according to a court papers.

According to an affidavit, Patricia told police she and Misty "hit it off" after reuniting. She "had looked into" marrying her daughter and wrongly determined she it was allowed because her name no longer appears on Misty's birth certificate, the document added.

Misty was given a 10-year suspended jail sentence after admitting incest at Stephens County Court this week, reported Tulsa World.

Patricia and Misty Spann were arrested after child welfare investigators uncovered their incestuous relationship (Stephens County Jail)

Patricia, who gave her name as Patricia Ann Clayton on their marriage application, is due to stand trial in January.

The marriage was annulled in October at the request of Misty, who cited "illegality and fraud". She reportedly said her mother assured her she had received legal advice that indicated it was not a crime for them to wed.

Under Oklahoma law, marrying a close relative is considered incest whether or not the relationship is sexual. It is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in