BEDFORD — A regional marriage tracking dispute has led to a formal criminal investigation in Lawrence County after a local man discovered his estranged wife was allegedly still legally married to another man.
Following a police investigation into the conflicting records, 45-year-old Amanda Johnson, of Norman, Indiana, was arrested on May 31, 2026. She faces a preliminary charge of bigamy, a felony under Indiana Code 35-46-1-2.
The criminal case surfaced earlier this year on the morning of Friday, February 6, when Bedford Police Officer Zakry E. Brooking was dispatched to a room at a local motel on Mitchell Road regarding a bigamy complaint.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Officer Brooking was met at the scene by the male complainant. He told the officer that he had married Amanda Johnson on March 26, 2025.
The male explained that he and Johnson are currently separated. While looking up legal records on MyCase, Indiana’s centralized online public court system, he discovered that Johnson was still actively and legally married to a man named David Hert. He told police that Johnson had explicitly assured him she was completely divorced from Hert before they wed.
Officer Brooking launched an investigation into the state’s marriage registry and digital court dockets to verify the timelines. His findings confirmed a legal overlap:
- The First Marriage: State records showed Johnson married David Hert on July 4, 2023. The license (No. 2023-0000019) was filed in Martin County by clerk Julie Fithian, with Randall F. Stevens serving as the officiant.
- The Divorce Filing: A review of court records showed that Johnson did file for a dissolution of marriage from Hert in Lawrence Circuit Court (Case No. 47C01-2402-DN-000249) on February 22, 2024. However, the court system showed the divorce was never finalized and remains legally pending.
- The Second Marriage: Just over a year after filing for that pending divorce, Johnson married Prepster on March 26, 2025. The secondary marriage license (No. 2025-0000045) was finalized and filed in Lawrence County by clerk Amy Voorhies, with Wade G. Pulliam officiating the ceremony.
Under Indiana law, an individual cannot legally enter into a new marriage contract while a previous marriage remains undissolved. Because the 2024 divorce from her first husband was never finalized by a judge, entering into a subsequent marriage is considered unlawful.
Following the initial investigation, the Bedford Police Department officially submitted the affidavit to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office to request a formal arrest warrant.
Officer Brooking had previously attempted to contact Johnson at her listed address in Norman to interview her regarding the conflicting filings, but those initial efforts were unsuccessful.
The investigation culminated with Johnson’s arrest on May 31.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
