Investigation Discovery’s television series “Who the Bleep Did I Marry?” delves into real-life accounts of individuals who make unexpected and startling discoveries about their spouse, uncovering dark secrets or criminal pasts that they had no prior knowledge about. Each episode depicts unsuspecting partners’ journeys as they adjust to these shocking revelations regarding their significant others.
“Serial Spouse” is one episode of our show that explores Vernon Pierce, an intriguing serial bigamist with well-documented exploits. Authorities discovered Pierce in 1994 and soon after discovered four marriages he allegedly engaged in across three states – our program includes interviews with some of these ex-wives that shed insight into their experiences. If you want to delve deeper into this compelling case, rest assured that we have all of the answers and join us as we investigate who Vernon truly is while also discovering where he currently resides!
What Happened to Vernon Pierce?
Vernon Pierce, aged 33 at the time, began engaging in multiple marriages before legally divorcing his first spouse in early 1994. LaDranda Pierce from Phoenix was his initial spouse, whom he wed in Los Angeles in August 1989; they divorced a year later but still had one son together named Jared. Vernon soon after married three more women from various states without officially divorcing LaDranda first.
Depending on the circumstances, Vernon assumed various identities during his marriage binge, such as being a salesman, model or engineer. He admitted living off his wives and those he dated since he had no job at that time. Charmaine began suspecting her second husband of being deceptive, so she called Glendale Police Department in Phoenix. She then arrived to discover that another woman named Jamillah Thompson had introduced herself as Vernon’s wife – much to their shock!
Further investigation revealed a small index card labelled “Who to Marry,” with names, dates and locations of his three most recent wives listed therein. Since authorities could not locate those on this card, Charmaine and Jamillah sought assistance from a detective in tracking down Vernon’s other two wives; Glendale police then informed their California and Nevada counterparts of any marriage licenses discovered; finally, Vernon turned himself over to authorities after several months-long search efforts in late 1994.
On December 27, 1994, Vernon surrendered and faced charges of bigamy that carried up to four years in prison and a fine of $300,000. Once released on bond, Vernon expressed regret over having wasted years and stated that things had become so challenging that he had begun documenting conversations between each wife; but no explanation was offered as to why multiple marriages had taken place; his first wife LaDranda grew confused and tearful over this turn in events; she sought answers as to why her husband had chosen this path.
In March 1995, Vernon pleaded guilty to the charges and received a sentence of five months of incarceration, three years of probation and 250 hours of community service. He spent over one month behind bars before being transferred under house arrest. Later that same month, he announced that he had tested positive for HIV infection; he claimed to have sexual relations with 20 women, including former wives but offered no proof. Furthermore, he expressed concerns for their well-being while legally forbidden from communicating.
Vernon Pierce experienced immense emotional trauma from this case and expressed hope that it hadn’t spread further. Yet some of Vernon’s former wives remembered him fondly. This cautionary tale warns of deception’s impact and its possible ramifications when committed in multiple fraudulent schemes.
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