Father and Daughter Charged After Trying to Marry in Evansville

An Indiana father and daughter are facing charges after attempting to get hitched in Vanderburgh County.

It's not too often you come across a story of a father and daughter trying to tie the knot, but that's exactly what recently transpired in southern Indiana. While it sounds gross and disturbing on the surface, it seems there may have been a clear motive behind the matrimony, related to money. Nonetheless, the soundtrack to this tale is undoubtedly filled with banjos.

Woman Tries to Marry Biological Father

According to 21Alive, Kimberly Tempel, 44, of Tell City, was in the midst of a divorce when she and her alleged biological father, Bradley McCollum, 59, of Evansville, got married. Police later uncovered several inaccuracies on the marriage license application, including a false address and the claim that McCollum was not a sex offender, despite his conviction on federal child pornography charges.

McCollum is currently serving time in federal prison and was allegedly estranged from his daughter before his incarceration. However, investigators discovered that the two began communicating shortly afterward through letters and emails. According to a family member, Tempel was fully aware that McCollum was her biological father, a fact confirmed by DNA evidence with a probability greater than 99.999999%.

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Tempel and McCollum Face Felony Charges

Both Tempel and her father are currently facing felony charges for providing false information on a marriage license application. Tempel is also accused of felony attempted bigamy, which is the act of marrying someone while already legally married.

A family member told police they believed the motive behind the marriage was so that Tempel could receive McCollum’s monthly V.A. benefits while he serves time in federal prison. The total sum of those monthly checks was believed to be around $350.