Bride-to-Be Was 2 Days from Disney-Themed Wedding — Then She Was Shot, Exposing Groom's Secret Life

It was two days before Molly Watson’s wedding when her body was spotted by a passing driver on a backcountry road in Monroe County, Mo., in April 2018.

“My headlights came over on her body in front of the car,” Glen McSparren, the driver, recalled in the April 8 episode of ABC News’ 20/20 limited true crime series “Bad Romance.” “When I [saw] her, I swear my heart stopped… I could tell she wasn’t moving.”

Watson, whose body was lying in front of her car, had sustained a close-range gunshot wound to the back of her head. Authorities said her marriage license was still in the back seat of her car.

When police went to notify her fiancé, James Addie, they were welcomed at the door — by his wife.

It wasn’t long before Addie’s secret life unraveled.

Watson and Addie had met seven years earlier while they were both working as corrections officers at the Moberly Area Correctional Center in Moberly, Mo., according to ABC News. Watson’s brother, Tim Watson, said she was “absolutely, 100% in love” with Addie.

Addie eventually proposed to Watson in 2018 and the two were planning a Disney-themed wedding. “She was so excited,” Chrystal Graves-Yazici said, per ABC News.

According to ABC News, authorities said Addie had previously claimed he had been divorced from his wife Melanie Addie and that she had later died in a car accident. But Melanie was very much alive and had no idea about his relationship with Watson and impending illegal marriage until police knocked on her door that day, the outlet reported.

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Addie was eventually arrested and charged in connection with Watson’s killing. He was found guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in 2021, according to KOMU-TV. 

“He was a pretty selfish person … He could be controlling and intimidating … it could be challenging,” said Melanie, who testified during her now ex-husband’s trial, per ABC News. “It just seemed like something he would do to fix a problem.”

According to KOMU-TV, Addie was sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 10 years for the murder. He was separately sentenced to 20 years for the armed criminal action charge, per the outlet.

Watson’s obituary says she “loved her son and spending time with family.”

The “Love You to Death” episode of ABC News’ 20/20 limited true crime series “Bad Romance” is streaming now on Hulu.