Disclaimer: Article contains mentions of child abuse. Readers are advised to exercise caution.
Tom Green, polygamist whose trial drew international attention, dies at 72
Tom Green gained a lot of popularity due to his polygamist lifestyle and marrying multiple women. He appeared in the media several times, talking about polygamy and his relationships with all of his wives. Reports suggest that Green started marrying in 1970 and that most of his wives were teenagers when he married them. For several years, he lived like a celebrity. However, Green was later convicted of rape and bigamy in two separate cases.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Tom Green began marrying young girls in 1970 and initially had 10 wives. By 2000, however, Green was living with his five wives: Linda Kunz, Cari Green, Shirley Beagley, Hannah Bjorkman and LeeAnn Beagley. In May 2001, Tom Green's trial began in Utah, with prosecutors alleging that Green's polygamous lifestyle was a "public challenge" to marriage laws, according to The New York Times. The jury deliberated for three hours and returned a guilty verdict. The court sentenced him to five years in prison.
Meanwhile, in June 2002, the court found him guilty of child rape for having sex with a 13-year-old girl who would later become his spiritual wife. CBS News reported that the trial lasted only an hour. According to The Salt Lake Tribune, Tom Green was sentenced to five years in prison for child rape.