Suvechha Sarkar
Mark Athans was looking for his lifelong partner whom he could trust when he crossed paths with Charity Lenee Parchem. What began as a seemingly happy union soon became a nightmare when the former learned the extent of her deception. The investigation further uncovered criminal revelations that would alter the course of his life. Investigation Discovery’s ‘Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?: Mark the Mark’ delves deeper into the emotional toll of betrayal and the strength it took for Mark to stand up for himself. It also features interviews with Mark and his loved ones, as well as the officials who finally helped serve justice.
Mark Athans Gave Love Another Chance, Only to be Betrayed by Charity Parchem
After the passing of his wife and first love, Kelly, Mark became a single father, caring for his youngest son, Dakota, who has Autism. After four years of trying to cope with the profound loss, he decided to try online dating. That’s when he met Charity Lenee Parchem, who presented herself as a registered nurse. The duo began dating in April 2016, and seemingly got too close. He even introduced her to his close friends and neighbors, Gina and James Helm. At one instance, Gina visited Charity’s Spring, Texas home, only to find men’s clothing and toiletries. She claimed that it belonged to her second ex-husband, Bart Parchem. After Mark learned about that, she moved in with him at his house with her younger daughter, Destiny. At some point, an old acquaintance of Charity reached out to James after seeing her picture, claiming she had manipulated men for her own gain.
Mark was deeply in love with her and eventually tied the knot with Charity in August 2017 at a courthouse in Deadwood, South Dakota. She soon moved to Mark’s place in Willis, Texas. After the marriage, his expenses increased significantly, with him paying for cars, an apartment, tuition fees, and cell phones. One day, she had left home around 8 -9 am but didn’t return until 11 pm. That raised suspicions in Mark’s mind, prompting Dakota to do a background search on her. They shockingly discovered that she had a criminal record with theft by check charges and had reportedly lied about being a registered nurse. The GPS showed her location back at her old house in Spring, and her cell phone records revealed she texted Bart regularly and called him that particular morning.
To make amends after a big fight, Charity booked a stay at Fredericksburg, Texas, with Mark and Dakota for the latter’s birthday. However, it also ended in a big fight, with Mark leaving with his son and returning home around 4 am. They soon made the horrific discovery that not only their vehicle but most of their possessions in the home were gone. Ultimately, texts from James and Gina revealed how they saw Bart and Charity go inside the house and leave with several items around midnight. The following morning, CCTV footage from Sam’s Club reportedly uncovered the two using Mark’s credit card for $15,000. That finally prompted him to file for divorce, a few months after their marriage. Investigation revealed that Charity had never divorced her first husband, Trevor Hendry. Furthermore, she was married to Bart, committing Bigamy.
While Mark Reclaimed His Life, Charity Has Chosen to Maintain a Low Profile
Ultimately, in April 2019, Charity was arrested and indicted on the third-degree felony charge of Bigamy. However, she was released on a $20,000 bond. Meanwhile, Mark and her divorce proceedings continued, where the former was asked to pay spousal support. Despite the proof of their voided marriage in court, Judge Patrice McDonald did not change her orders. Mark was ordered to pay her nearly $40,000 in a cash settlement, a car, and other settlements. However, he stood his ground firmly and refused to pay any money to Charity. It only led her to file an enforcement action to imprison Mark for not paying the settlement money. In January 2020, the judge held him in contempt of court. On January 14, 2020, Charity pleaded guilty to the charge of Bigamy. She was sentenced to four years of probation and a $500 fine.
However, Mark was still ordered to pay spousal support and legal fees amounting to $96,000 to Charity. If he failed to do so within the stipulated time period, he was at risk of facing jail time. By then, multiple of his appeals to overturn the order had been denied. However, just 24 hours before his deadline on March 2, 2020, Mark’s attorney filed an appeal to freeze all trial court proceedings regarding contempt ruling, spousal payments, and community supervision. It was granted the same day, and the judge’s orders were dismissed entirely. After the tiring experience, Mark has once again focused on his work. He continues to serve as a Surgical Assistant at Prestige Surgical Assistants, LLC. He has also succeeded in mending his relationship with his neighbors and good friends, Gina and James.
Despite the betrayal he had faced, he did not give up on love. Mark mentioned, “I’m back on the dating scene. I’m just more thorough now about looking at people. I want to try to find somebody that will love my family.” We do hope he has found the one who completes him and is leading a fulfilling life with his family and friends. On the other hand, since her guilty plea, Charity has decided to live a quiet life. Her Instagram bio reads, “Loving life with me and my girls! So blessed.” However, due to the account’s private status, it can be said that she has preferred to lead a life away from the public eye with her daughters.
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