Judge Annuls Marriage of Alzheimer’s Patient
A judge annulled the marriage of a woman with Alzheimer’s disease after concluding that her husband, accused of spending nearly $300,000 of her fortune in Las Vegas, was only after her money.
Denver District Judge John Coughlin ruled that 79-year-old Glenna Birmingham was not mentally competent when she wed 41-year-old Wando Stevens in Las Vegas on New Year’s Eve.
He rejected claims by Stevens, who has a felony theft record, that the two were in love.
Relatives of Birmingham, a retired Denver pediatrician, said she does not remember getting married to Stevens at the Candlelight Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas.
”... She doesn’t remember her marriage, she doesn’t want to be married to him,” said Robert Gilmartin, the woman’s nephew and court-appointed guardian.
Stevens’ lawyer in Las Vegas, John Mason, called the marriage “an old lady’s last fling.” He said Stevens may appeal.
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
