UPDATE: Racine man accused of bigamy in Minnesota

BY JOURNAL TIMES STAFF

Thursday, March 20, 2008 7:23 AM CDT

MANTORVILLE, Minn. — A Racine man has been charged in Dodge County, Minn. with felony bigamy after authorities there learned he had a wife in Minnesota and a wife in Wisconsin.

Reports from Dodge County said Michael L. Henderson, 39, of 810 College Ave., received a summons to appear in court in Mantorville Wednesday. He faces up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of bigamy.

According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Henderson married a Racine woman named Willie Henderson on July 22, 1995. Then in April of 2007, he married Laurie Bandel of Rochester, Minn. in a ceremony officiated by the Dodge County Court Administrator.

Henderson, according to the court records, current lives in Racine. It does not appear that he lives with his first wife, who also lives in Racine.

The Post-Bulletin in Rochester reported that Dodge County Sheriff Gary Thompson said that in his 31 years with the sheriff’s office, he can’t remember anyone else being charged with bigamy.

Thompson said authorities became aware of the alleged bigamy from the first wife.

“Evidently, the first wife found out about that and called the Rochester Police Department,” Thompson said.

The sheriff said Henderson applied for the marriage license in Olmsted County. But because the ceremony was performed in Mantorville, the case was referred to Dodge County for prosecution.

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