Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry (2010–…): Season 2, Episode 17 - Gold Digging Grandma - full transcript

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?