“Bishop” Anthony Owens, one of the original Lovefraud case studies, was back in the news last week.
Perhaps you remember Bishop Owens. He married eight women, and divorced none of them. His last wife found out about his multiple marriages and turned him into the police. Owens was convicted of one count of bigamy and spent 17 months in prison. He was paroled in November 2005.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Owens is back in jail because he violated his probation. He left the state of Georgia to re-establish his traveling ministry. And while he was traveling, he was proposing to more women.
The newspaper reported that at least four women claim Owens has proposed to them since he got out of jail— Betty Dixon, Karen Ward, Darlene Keeler and Cheryl Selmon. Owens told several of the women that God had sent him to them.
Lovefraud heard from another woman—not among those named in the news article—who said she was pregnant by Owens. When she told the good bishop, he disappeared.
In previous interviews, Owens claimed he kept marrying because he misunderstood the teachings of the Mormon religion. Now, according to the Atlanta newspaper, he’s not talking to reporters.
Sociopaths do not change
Here is what you need to know about sociopaths: They do not change.
Yes, Anthony Owens is an extreme case, but the lesson is the same. If you’re involved with a sociopath, you may have heard the person plead for you not to throw him out, promise that he will never do it again, swear that he will go to counseling and reform his ways. (Female sociopaths will say the same things.)
You may have a lot of time, emotional energy and possibly money invested with this person. You may remember how nice it was in the beginning. You may want to give the person a second chance (for the millionth time), save the relationship or marriage, or keep it together for the kids.
Know this: If you are dealing with a sociopath, it is all futile. Some sociopaths can behave appropriately for a short time, but eventually the personality disorder emerges again, in all its lying, cheating and abusive glory.
Even after media exposure and prison, sociopaths do not change.
