Married Woman Accused of Marrying Biological Father for His VA Benefits: Cops

News By TooFab Staff |
Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office

An Indiana woman has been charged with bigamy as police investigate a suspicious marriage license, with officials saying the mother-and-father duo both lied about their relationship -- and the daughter was already married.

A marriage license in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, is raising eyebrows and has led to the arrest of the woman who filed it.

Kimberly Tempel, 44, filed and legally wed Bradly McCollom, 59, who is currently incarcerated, but officials are now saying they believe the pair are father and daughter, as reported by Fox affiliate WXIN.

On the application, they both cited their relationship was no closer than second cousins. Further, officials have said that Tempel was legally married to someone else at the time of the application.

McCollom also reportedly raised suspicion, per the Perry County Court docket, when he claimed to have a Vanderburgh County address, but then gave a Tell City, Perry County address on the application.

He also marked that he was not a convicted lifetime sex or violent offender, but WPTA 21 Alive News reports he had been previously convicted on federal child pornography charges.

According to her arrest affidavit, Tempel and McCollom filled out the forms on July 26, 2024 and were wed by the Warrick County clerk that same day.

Online court records show Tempel was in the midst of a divorce at the time, but it had not yet been finalized.

"For that roughly four or five day span, she was still legally married to her prior husband which would make it illegal to marry someone else," Evansville Police Public Information Officer Anthony Aussieker told ABC affiliate WEHT.

They are now each facing a felony count of providing false information on a marriage license application. Tempel is additionally being charged with felony attempted bigamy, which refers to marrying someone while already married.

As part of their investigation, per records filed with the courts, police investigators spoke with McCollom's sister, who shared alleged documentation from a DNA service that showed the probability of McCollom being Tempel's biological father at ">99.999999%."

According to the sister, the father-and-daughter duo were estranged when McCollom first went to federal prison, but then began to rekindle their relationship with letters and emails. Nevertheless, she insisted that Tempel has always known McCollom was her father.

The sister further stated that after McCollom was released, Tempel moved in with him.

As for a possible motive, the sister told police, per court documents, that it was so Tempel could receive McCollom's monthly V.A. (Veteran's Affairs) benefits check of $350 after he was sent back to prison for probation violation.

In an addendum to their report, WXIN said they are in receipt of information from someone else claiming that the accusations are not true.

This unnamed individual purportedly sent the news station documentation "that appears to show a test from DNA Diagnostics Center that claims McCollom is not the father." The station has not yet been able to verify these new claims.

McCollom's release is set for July 29, 2025. Since her initial arrest, WXIN reports Tempel has since been released from police custody.