Woman Marries Several Military Men; Claims a Psychological Disorder

For nearly a decade, investigators say a woman known as Shauna Keith traveled all around the United States meeting, marrying and then leaving military men.

She left behind a trail of at least five broken marriages, financial problems and three children. Investigators say she was sometimes married to more than one man at a time.

Now, Keith, 27, is in a Georgia jail being held on bigamy, fraud and identity theft charges.
KATU News talked to Keith's mother, who lives in Gresham, Oregon.

"She lives in her own reality," Cynthia Gibson said. She also said that her daughter started telling lies at age 12 and that the problems escalated from there. Shauna is the oldest of four daughters, and her birth name is Shauna Marie McDonald. Police are holding her under the name Shauna Keith.

Keith has been diagnosed with Münchhausen syndrome, a psychological disorder where people tell stories, usually lies, or intentionally harm themselves to attract attention.Keith also reportedly made her first child sick in order to get attention, a condition known as Münchhausen Syndrome by Proxy.

Investigators say Keith first married a sailor in San Diego back in 1999. A short time later she moved on to Colorado and married a man in the U.S. Air Force.

Marriages to soldiers from Kentucky and Kansas followed. Detectives say she most recently married a Marine in North Carolina, but the Marine's family became suspicious while boxing up her possessions to ship to the base where the couple planned to live.

They said they discovered doctored identification and called police to report the possible fraud. Keith was then arrested.

Over the years, Keith gave birth to three children. Her mother, Cynthia, is caring for two of them, both boys. She says her daughter is currently pregnant with another child, but has convinced herself it is her first child.

Investigators in the case say Keith used multiple aliases and identifications over the years. They say she would search for military men using online military-oriented dating services. Keith's mother says she even researched the various branches of the armed forces.

"I hope that the families of those she hurt will find it in their hearts to forgive here," Gibson said.

By Derek Sciba and KATU-TV web staff.

Comments

[Fighter]

That mental disorder is called SOCIOPATHY.

You don't forgive a sociopath, you lock them away from the rest of society for as long as possible.

[Fighter]

That mental disorder is called SOCIOPATHY.

You don't forgive a sociopath, you lock them away from the rest of society for as long as possible.