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Woman Engaged To Prisoner She's Never Met Who Won't Be Released Until 2032

Woman Engaged To Prisoner She's Never Met Who Won't Be Released Until 2032

Kelly Jacobs, struck up a romance with James ‘Wyatt’ Dentel after writing to him at his cell in Oregon

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A woman is engaged to a prisoner who won't be released until 2032 - despite the fact they've never actually met.

Social work graduate Kelly Jacobs, 28, struck up a romance with James 'Wyatt' Dentel, who has been writing to her from his cell in Oregon.

Kelly, who lives in Heerlen in the Netherlands, began contacting him out of curiosity, but their pen pal relationship soon developed into something more after countless letters, emails and instant messenger conversations.

After Wyatt, 32, proposed via video call, the couple are planning to marry inside his prison this October.

SWNS

Kelly said: "He proposed with a prison-made ring, but then he had someone in the free world order a ring at a jeweler for me.

"For the wedding I won't wear a traditional, fancy dress, because people don't do that for prison weddings.

"I will probably just wear a simple white dress or white trousers or a white skirt and top."

Wyatt, 32, is serving 20 years at the Snake River Correctional Institution for assault and unlawful use of a firearm during a bar brawl in 2012 - in which he shot four men.

Kelly explained: "He was with a girlfriend, they were at a bar and they got attacked by five strangers, he tried to protect himself and his girlfriend, he pulled a gun and shot four of them, but none of them died."

SWNS

The couple have never been in the same room, and will not be allowed conjugal visits even after marriage, as this is not permitted in the state of Oregon.

Kelly admitted the set-up is 'difficult', and that Wyatt worries that she 'won't wait for him'.

She said: "He asks me how I feel about not having sex for such a long time, he worries how I would react if someone else flirts with me."

Kelly joined website writeaprisoner.com in 2019, and chose Wyatt to speak to - saying she just chose someone who looked 'friendly'.

Soon they began to fall in love, enjoying a shared love for Italian and Mexican food, music and Game of Thrones.

SWNS

Kelly continued: "We talked about it a lot, he described all the negative aspects of being in a relationship with a prisoner, but I said I wanted to give it a try.

"My parents were really shocked at first but once they had spoken to him online a few times they really grew to like him."

Kelly's parents have given their blessing to the relationship, with Wyatt seeking permission from her father before he proposed.

Once Wyatt is released - by which time Kelly will be approaching 40 and Wyatt will be around 44 - they plan to have children as soon as they can.

SWNS

Kelly said: "I will never condone that what Wyatt did.

"Even though it was an act of self defense, it is never okay to do what he did. Though I sometimes question what I would do in the situation he was in.

"Still, he chose the wrong path of life, that led him to his prison sentence.

"But I do not judge him as a person for his past. Being a man in prison doesn't always make someone a bad person. Just like being a free man doesn't always make him a good one."

Featured Image Credit: SWNS

Topics: World News, News, Dating, Relationships, Prison