It’s odd to talk about divorce here in the Marriage Blog, but the latest entry in my Marriage in the News topic and while I’ve written about some strange things here in the Marriage in the News, I have to say this is one of the stranger stories that I’ve ever read. In a county jail cell just outside Philadelphia, a man named H.Beatty Chadwick has been sitting in jail for 11 years.
On what charges, are you wondering? Contempt of court for failure to turn over $2.5 million dollars that he says he can’t turn over because he doesn’t have and the Courts say he does, but is refusing. Are you confused? Well you’re not alone. Chadwick’s case has resulted in 12 pleas to the Delaware County Courts, 9 to the State Appeals Court, and 9 to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and 10 to federal courts and 2 to the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s enough to make your head spin.
So What’s the Problem?
Chadwick was a 39 year-old lawyer when he married Barbara Jean Crowther in 1977. This was not his first marriage, and the details of the marriage are talked about and disagreed upon by both he and his ex-wife. She describes him as overly controlling and he describes her as quiet, but that their marriage was happy. She detailed a story of him kicking her and causing a fall down the stairs that resulted in a miscarriage.
The former Mrs. Chadwick filed for divorce in 1992. Now this is where it gets tricky. Chadwick himself was described as precise, intelligent and very careful with his words. His reputation as a lawyer was excellent. He was considered a well-prepared person, conservative and careful. In 1990, he pledged a $5,000 investment to a limited partnership. The risk of his investment was that if they put in a capital call, he would have to come up with $2.75 million dollars.
Now, I don’t pretend to understand finances or capital calls, but apparently, just two months after his wife filed for divorce, they issued the capital call and that’s where his money went. When he failed to appear before the court or turn over the money, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. He was actually arrested at his dentist’s office and he has remained in the county jail ever since.
Plenty of people have tried to trace the money and none have had any luck after it was turned over to the real estate investment company. The former Mrs. Chadwick doesn’t expect she’ll ever see it and that it is very typical of his controlling behavior. As for Chadwick, he’s still waiting in jail and apparently that’s where he’s going to stay.
Related Articles:
Marriage in the News: Arranged Marriage Fraud
Marriage in the News: Jilted Bride Makes Lemonade from Lemons
Marriage in the News: Forbes Far From Funny