Patricia Spann had lost custody of her children when they were young, so Misty was raised by her grandmother. Years passed before mother and daughter found each other again.
The reunion took place in 2014, when Misty was already an adult. Patricia told investigators that the two “hit it off” when they saw each other again and began rebuilding their relationship.
Two years later, in September 2016, when Misty was 25 and Patricia was 42, the two got married in Oklahoma. Patricia claimed that she believed the union was legal because her name no longer appeared on Misty’s birth certificate.
But there was an even more unusual precedent: in 2008, Patricia had already married one of her own sons. The marriage was annulled in 2010, after he sought an annulment, alleging that it was a union between mother and son.
The union between Patricia and Misty lasted barely six weeks before it was annulled. In 2017, the case made headlines again, and Misty pleaded guilty, initially receiving a deferred sentence of 10 years.
Patricia’s case proceeded, and in March 2018 she pleaded guilty. She was sentenced to two years in prison, followed by eight years of probation.
What began with a family reunion after years of separation ended up becoming a court case that surprised even Oklahoma authorities.