Tom Green, a wellknown polygamist from Utah, and his wives became the focus of national and international media attention in the late 1990s and early 2000s because of his controversial lifestyle and highprofile court cases. The story of what happened to Tom Green’s polygamist wives is intertwined with legal battles over bigamy, questions about underage marriage, prison sentences, changing family dynamics, and ultimately, the later years of their lives after Green’s convictions and release. Understanding this complex situation requires examining the marriages, the legal aftermath, and where Green’s wives ended up in the years that followed.
Who Was Tom Green?
Thomas Arthur Green was an American Mormon fundamentalist and plural marriage practitioner who became infamous for openly living with multiple wives and children in the Utah desert. Born in 1948, Green adopted polygamy as part of a belief system he claimed reflected original Mormonism. He lived with several women and a large family compound while appearing on television to defend his lifestyle. His polygamist community drew the attention of law enforcement and media alike.
Green’s Marriages and Family
Green was married to at least ten women over the years, though by the time of his legal troubles he lived with five wives and had around 3035 children. Names frequently associated with his wives include Linda Kunz, LeeAnn Beagley, Shirley Beagley, Hannah Bjorkman, and Cari Green. Some of these marriages were legal under state law, while others were spiritual or religious ceremonies not recognized by the government.
The Legal Cases Involving Tom Green
Green’s lifestyle led to several criminal charges in the state of Utah, which had long prohibited polygamy. His highprofile case became one of the most notable prosecutions of polygamy in decades.
Bigamy and Criminal Nonsupport Convictions
In 2001, Green was convicted on multiple counts of bigamy and one charge of criminal nonsupport. The court found him guilty of marrying more than one woman at the same time and failing to support his family financially. He was sentenced to up to five years in prison, although the sentences were set to run concurrently. During the trial, several of his wives stood by him and even testified on his behalf, expressing emotional support and requesting leniency.
Child Rape Conviction
In a separate legal action related to his marriage practices, Green was also convicted of child rape connected to one of his marriages. The conviction stemmed from charges that he had intercourse with Linda Kunz, his wife, when she was 13 years old and he was significantly older. The judge sentenced him to life in prison for that conviction.
Impact on Green’s Wives
The fallout from Green’s legal battles affected his wives in different ways. Some remained devoted throughout the trials, while others eventually left the relationship or changed their lives significantly. The experiences of these women reflect the personal and legal pressures faced by families living in plural marriage under modern law.
Support During Trials
At the sentencing hearings, Green’s wives appeared publicly to support him. They were emotional in court, crying and asking for leniency for their husband. At times, the media portrayed these moments as demonstrations of loyalty within a difficult family situation.
Life During Imprisonment
Once Green was incarcerated, his wives faced the challenge of providing for their children and maintaining family stability without his presence. Some tried to continue the family structure as best they could, while others sought more independent paths. For example, the legal wife recognized by the state, Linda Kunz, was allowed visitation rights because she was his only legal spouse under Utah law, though she had a difficult time visiting him in prison.
After Prison and Changing Dynamics
When Green was released on parole in 2007, he agreed to stop taking new wives and to live in a way that would prevent further legal trouble. This arrangement involved living in adjoining units rather than maintaining plural households that violated state bigamy laws.
After his release, the dynamic between Green and his wives changed over time. Some of his wives left him entirely and built new lives on their own. For instance, there are later reports suggesting that at least one of the wives, LeeAnn, eventually remarried another man and adopted a more conventional lifestyle after leaving the polygamist community. Anecdotal sources also suggest that other wives, like Hannah and Shirley, left the polygamist lifestyle and entered monogamous marriages. These personal decisions underscore the varied outcomes for women who were once part of Green’s family unit. Anecdotal internet commentary corroborates these changes, suggesting that some wives have since pursued different paths.
The Broader Context of Polygamy
Green’s story took place within the larger social and legal debate over polygamy in parts of the Western United States. Polygamy has long existed as a practice in some religious and fundamentalist communities, particularly among groups that trace their beliefs to early Mormon doctrine. Utah alone has tens of thousands of people practicing plural marriage, often in communities that avoid legal recognition to escape prosecution. Green’s highprofile case brought these issues into public view and sparked discussions about law enforcement, religious freedom, and children’s welfare in polygamist families.
Polygamy and Legal Scrutiny
The prosecution of Green was seen as significant because it was the first major polygamy conviction in Utah in nearly half a century. The case demonstrated that while many plural families live quietly, legal action could be taken when other offenses, like child marriage or fraud, are involved. This precedent made some plural families wary of law enforcement, fearing that similar scrutiny could affect their communities.
Where Green’s Wives Are Now
Tom Green died in 2021 after a long and controversial life, at the age of 72 from COVID19. After decades of public attention, his death marked the end of a chapter for his large extended family. At the time of his death, reports indicated that some of his former wives remained connected to the family, while others had moved on with their lives in different ways, often seeking privacy and normalcy after years of public exposure.
Current Status of the Wives
Due to the private nature of their lives following Green’s parole and later death, detailed public information about each wife’s current situation is limited. Anecdotal accounts and personal postings suggest that some have remarried outside polygamy, some remain in family relationships with their children, and others maintain varying degrees of connection to the broader Green family. What is clear is that Green’s legal troubles, imprisonment, and eventual death had lasting impacts on the lives of his wives and children, reshaping family dynamics and future opportunities.
The story of what happened to Tom Green’s polygamist wives is complex and reflects both personal choices and the broader legal realities of polygamy in modern America. From standing by him in court to facing life without their husband during his imprisonment, and later adjusting to new realities after his parole and eventual death, these women have experienced substantial change. Some chose to stay with the family structure, others left to build independent lives, and many faced the challenge of raising children in a controversial and often scrutinized environment. The legacy of Tom Green and his wives highlights the multifaceted experiences of individuals within polygamist communities and the ways legal, personal, and cultural forces shape their lives over time.