Number 8 Tammi Menendez
In 1996, Tammi Menendez watched the trial of Erik Menendez on television. Erik and his sibling,
Lyle, had murdered their parents, in 1989, with a shotgun. At the time, Erik was 21 and Lyle
was just 18 years old. The shocking story had made headlines across the U.S. On television,
the young brothers had received attention for being handsome. They also received sympathy
for the abuse they’d claimed to have endured at the hands of their father. The brothers’ publicity
and fame led many women to write letters to them. Erik had received one from Tammi and after some
more correspondence, they met in the prison where he was held. In 1999, they got married.
Their wedding cake was a Twinkie bar from the prison vending machine. Despite public criticism,
Tammi has been open about the many challenges that came with being married to an inmate,
especially one who was sentenced to life in prison for his crimes, without possibility of parole.
Still, Tammi was willing to uproot her life for the marriage, moving to California so she
could be closer to Eric. According to the latest updates, the two are still married.
Number 7 Carole Boone
Carole Boone met her husband, infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, in 1974. At the time,
they were both working at the Department of Emergency Services, in Washington. Unknown
to Boone, Bundy was helping in the search of multiple women that he had, in fact, killed.
Boone and Bundy’s relationship was platonic, at first. They only romantically connected during
Bundy’s first trial, in Florida, where he was accused of murdering two university students.
In 1979, whilst Boone was testifying for Bundy as a character witness, Bundy proposed. Florida law
states that two people can declare themselves married in a courtroom, as long as a judge is
present. Bundy, a former law student, was well aware of this rule and used it to his advantage.
On one of her visits to Bundy in prison, Boone became pregnant. She gave birth to Rosa Bundy,
their daughter, whilst Bundy was on death row, in October of 1981. Throughout their complicated
relationship, Boone truly believed Bundy was innocent of the crimes he’d been accused of.
It wasn’t until Bundy was offered a deal by police that she realized her faith had been misplaced.
Bundy was offered a “bones for time” deal, which he accepted. If Bundy told the police where the
bodies of his victims lay, they would delay the death penalty. In 1986, Boone divorced Bundy,
horrified and betrayed by the horrific revelations he’d made in his final years.
Number 6 Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe, arguably one of the most acclaimed actresses in history, was married to a bad boy
for a short time. In the mid-1950s, she married baseball star Joe DiMaggio. DiMaggio allegedly
had ties to the mafia, which were kept quiet from his teammates and the general public.
It was these connections which reportedly allowed him to retire and walk away from his $100,000 a
year salary. Frank Costello, an infamous Italian-American mob boss, allegedly set
up a trust fund for DiMaggio. Whenever DiMaggio would make appearances at mafia-associated venues,
Costello would deposit into the fund. DiMaggio was also reportedly friends with Chicago crime boss
Sam Giancana, with whom he used to play golf. In return for favors from the mafia,
DiMaggio would utilize his fame to allow them even greater access into the elite celebrity scene.
Monroe and DiMaggio were only married for 9 months before their divorce,
with Marilyn citing emotional abuse as a factor in the separation.
Number 5 Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Aaliyah Dana Haughton, better known plainly as Aaliyah, was an American singer, model
and actress. In 1994, when she was just 15 years old, R.Kelly, her mentor in the music industry,
attempted to marry her. Kelly is an infamous American singer who is no stranger to controversy.
As of 2021, he faces 21 federal counts which include, but are not limited to, abuse of minors,
human trafficking, kidnapping and forced labor. Kelly worked with Aaliyah to produce her debut
album, named “Age is Just a Number”. On the album cover, Kelly is disturbingly seen in the
background. Despite the controversy surrounding the two, the album went double platinum, selling
three million copies in the US alone. Kelly had allegedly bribed a government official in order
to obtain a fake ID for Aaliyah. This would’ve made it easier for the two to marry. However,
due to Aaliyah’s age, their marriage was deemed unlawful, and was eventually annulled. Tragically,
in 2001, Aaliyah died in an airplane crash at just 22 years of age. R. Kelly
is currently incarcerated in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, awaiting trial.
Number 4 Dawn Arguello
Dawn Arguello, aged 46, fell for 34-year-old Nikko Jenkins, a convicted serial killer, whilst
she was volunteering for an inmate advocacy group. Convicted of 4 murders in Nebraska, in August of
2013, Jenkins has stated that he’d committed the killings at the instruction of a serpent
god. Jenkins, widely regarded as a psychopath, has satanic symbols tattooed and carved into his face.
In 2015, he attempted to carve “666” into his forehead with razor blades. In doing so, however,
he used a mirror to see, which resulted in the numbers appearing backwards. He has also
reportedly mutilated his manhood while in prison. Jenkins also had the name “Dawn” tattooed on his
face, which allegedly angered Arguello. In 2019, the woman announced that she planned to
marry Jenkins. In spite of his horrific crimes, for which he is sentenced to death, Arguello
maintains that Jenkins is sensitive, intelligent, and attractive to her. Arguello appeared to have a
great interest in the criminal scene. Her Facebook profile listed a number of prison-related TV shows
and books as interests of hers. It is unclear whether she and Jenkins eventually married.
Number 3 Doreen Lioy
In 1996, magazine editor Doreen Lioy married Richard Ramirez in San Quentin State Prison.
Richard was a serial killer responsible for the deaths of at least 14 people in California, during
the mid-1980s. Nicknamed the “Night Stalker”, Ramirez would often kill his victims while they
slept, and was known to carve satanic pentagrams into their bodies. He identified as a Satanist,
and professed his worship to the devil often. In 1985, Ramirez was caught after being recognized in
the streets of Los Angeles. Almost immediately after he was arrested, Doreen Lioy felt an
attraction to him. Within the span of 11 years, she wrote him 75 letters. Doreen seemed unaffected
by his horrific crimes, going so far as to defend his character publicly. She described him, on one
occasion, as her “best buddy”. On November the 7th of 1989, the serial killer was sentenced to death.
While he was on death row, Doreen would visit him about 4 times a week. Determined to marry him,
Doreen eventually obtained permission to do so from the prison. A visiting room was secured for
the two of them, and a pastor officially married them on October the 3rd of 1996.
On their wedding day, Doreen presented Ramirez with a platinum wedding band. In contrast, she
wore a gold band herself. Ramirez had previously told her that Satanists don’t wear gold. After
the marriage, many of Doreen’s friends and family members disowned her. No one could understand why
she would make the decision to marry a monster. Richard Ramirez died of health complications,
in 2013. The two had not seen each other in the years leading up to his death. In 2009,
evidence surfaced indicating that Ramirez had abused and killed a 9-year old girl
in 1984. Some believe that this was just too much for Doreen, causing her to put an
end to the relationship. Today’s topic was requested by Carl Bradi, if you have any other
topics you’d like to learn about, subscribe and let us know in the comment section below.
Number 2 Carol Spadoni
In 1978, Phillip Jablonski, a Vietnam War veteran with a troubled past, was convicted for murder.
His victim was Linda Kimball, the mother of his child. Jablonski had had a criminal history
prior to the murder, and had abused women in past relationships. While Jablonski was in prison, he
placed a personal ad in a newspaper. Carol Spadoni responded, and the two struck up a romantic
relationship. In 1982, Jablonski and Spadoni got married, while the man was still incarcerated.
In 1990, Jablonski was released from prison for good behavior. This was despite him attempting
to strangle his own mother, in 1985, with a shoelace. Around the time of Jablonski’s release,
the relationship between him and Spadoni had begun to fall apart. Spadoni had complained to
a friend of hers that she’d become afraid of her husband. Prior to his release,
Jablonski’s belongings had been sent to Spadoni’s home in Burlingame, California. At the time,
the woman was living with her 71-year-old mother, who’d also expressed fear of Jablonski. Part of
his parole conditions stated that he could not travel to Burlingame. Jablonski defied this rule,
and travelled to Spadoni’s home. While there, he murdered Spadoni and her mother. Evidence
used to convict Jablonski of these murders included an audio tape in which he described
the experience. He also spoke about two other murders that he’d recently committed. Jablonski
was placed on death row but passed away in his cell, in December of 2019, at the age of 73.
Number 1 Afton Burton
On November the 7th of 2014, Afton Burton and infamous cult killer Charles Manson officially
received their marriage license. At the time, Burton was 26 years old and Manson was 80.
The two would never officially become married, due to logistical issues. Nevertheless,
the public was shocked that a young woman could fall in love with someone deemed so evil.
Throughout the 1960s Charles Manson and his cult had terrorized California.
Mostly made up of vulnerable young people looking for purpose and meaning,
the cult lived together in a commune. Manson was the leader, influencing his followers and
persuading them of his beliefs. Though Manson had an extensive criminal history, he is most infamous
for orchestrating the murder of Sharon Tate, a pregnant actress, and her friends. For his crimes,
Manson was originally sentenced to death, but it was later changed to life imprisonment. Afton
Burton had begun communicating with Manson when she was just 17, after a friend had showed her
the cult leader’s writings on environmentalism. At that point, Manson had already been imprisoned
for decades. In 2007, Burton uprooted her life for Manson, moving to California from Illinois
so she could regularly visit him in prison. For nearly 40 years, prior to them meeting,
Manson had been infamous worldwide. Burton claimed that she believed Manson was innocent,
despite the overwhelming evidence against him. When Manson was put in solitary confinement,
Burton reportedly carved an X into her forehead. Decades earlier, during Manson’s 1971 trial,
his female followers had done the same. As outrageous as the relationship may have seemed,
Burton’s family stuck by her side. When questioned by reporters, Burton’s father
said that he would never disown his daughter, no matter what she did. To reporters, Manson later
claimed that the relationship was a publicity stunt. In 2017, he died of health complications.
Burton has always maintained the two remained close and that their relationship was mutual.
Thanks for watching! Would you wait for your significant other if they went to
prison for a non-violent crime? Let us know in the comments section below!