LEXINGTON, NC – A North Carolina man faces felony charges after authorities say he was simultaneously married to three women in three different counties, raising questions about how long this alleged scheme may have gone undetected.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office reported that Harry Burdick Jr., 60, had obtained marriage licenses in Davidson, Guilford, and Lincoln counties, all without obtaining legal divorces from any of his spouses. An investigation was launched in April after deputies received a tip about potentially fraudulent marital activity involving Burdick.
According to officials, marriage records reveal Burdick wed a woman in Davidson County in January 2023. Further digging uncovered that he had also married women in neighboring Guilford County and Lincoln County, spanning communities in the heart of North Carolina.
Investigators say there is no record of divorce proceedings linked to any of Burdick’s three marriages, suggesting all were active at the time authorities began looking into his activities. The sheriff’s office indicated that Burdick’s alleged actions were driven by financial motives, as he reportedly sought personal gain from the overlapping relationships.
Court documents show Burdick was previously divorced in January 2019 in Guilford County, but no further dissolutions of marriage appear in public records. This has led law enforcement to suspect that Burdick established a pattern: securing benefits from each marriage before moving on to another unsuspecting partner.
Authorities believe the scope of Burdick’s conduct may reach beyond the three known marriages, reporting that a fourth woman has come forward, claiming to have been in a romantic relationship with him as well. Investigators are urging anyone else who may have had similar experiences to contact authorities.
Burdick was taken into custody on August 22 and charged with two counts of felony bigamy, an offense that can carry a prison sentence of three to twelve months under North Carolina law. He was released on a written promise to appear and is scheduled for his first court appearance on September 22 at the Davidson County Courthouse.
Neighbors in Burdick’s community have expressed disbelief over the situation, with some describing the allegations as confounding and difficult to comprehend.
Bigamy cases are unusual in North Carolina, where the law strictly prohibits being married to more than one person at the same time. Davidson, Guilford, and Lincoln counties, nestled in the state’s center, are now connected by this ongoing investigation.
As the legal process unfolds, officials continue to review evidence and seek out additional individuals who may have been affected by Burdick’s alleged actions.