‘Starved’ man returned to family in wake of marriage fraud claims

By Andy Pierrotti

Click here for updates on this story

    ATLANTA, Georgia (WANF) — New details have surfaced involving a case about a Georgia woman accused of marrying a man after he was found mentally incompetent.

It involves 58-year-old John Belt, who suffers from severe dementia, and his wife, Avis Wingo Belt.

Cobb County court records allege the couple’s marriage is a fraud and claim Avis Wingo Belt married John Belt “for the sole purpose of stealing his money.”

Last week, Cobb County Probate Court Judge Tara Riddle removed John Belt from the care of his wife after his family claimed she wasn’t taking care of his health. Riddle’s decision came after a hours-long hearing on Feb. 13, 2024, to address a petition for emergency guardianship filed by the family.

On June 20, 2018, a “certification of medical care” document, signed by a doctor, identified John Belt as “totally incapacitated.” Eight days later, his then soon-to-be-wife applied for this Florida marriage certificate.

About two months later, a neuropsychologist evaluated John Belt. According to a letter submitted by the doctor as part of the family’s petition, “Mr. Belt was diagnosed with significant neurocognitive problems (i.e. dementia) consistent with the decline in global intellectual functioning,” wrote Dr. John Sass, a licensed psychologist and board-certified criminal neuropsychologist.

“His prognosis was deemed as poor with the progressive decline culminating in the expectation that his functioning 5-6 years later would be even more impaired,” Sass wrote.

Avis Wingo Belt denied the allegations. “John was still in his right mind. John was going to get married anyway,” she said, speaking to Atlanta News First Investigates through her doorbell camera system before the hearing.

Avis Wingo Belt also said she wasn’t concerned for her husband’s health “because John is fine. He’s in a facility. John has never been no big guy. He just lost a little weight.”

After the judge transferred guardianship, John Belt’s sister and mother immediately took him to the hospital for an evaluation. When he arrived, John Belt weighed 103 pounds. His sister, Kim Belt, said he usually weighs around 175 pounds.

“He was so hungry that when he saw the plate, he would just panic thinking that we would take the food away from him,” said Kim Belt. “In my opinion, he was starved.”

Hospital records also show John Belt had a urinary tract infection.

John Belt is now home with his mother. He struggles to speak and when he does, he’s often incoherent. Despite his limitations, his family said they’re overjoyed to have him back.

“Honestly, this is the first time in all these years that I’ve gotten a complete night’s sleep,” said Kim Belt. “This burden feels like it’s been lifted.”

According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Avis Wingo Belt has a criminal record, including arrests for cruelty towards a child in 2001; drug trafficking; and multiple convictions for theft, larceny and shoplifting in the 1990s.

Calls to Avis Wingo Belt about her criminal record and her husband’s health were not returned.

After Atlanta News First Investigates published its original investigation about John Belt, the public took to social media and asked what laws are there to protect the most vulnerable.

According to Georgia statute 19-3-2 (2020), a person who has been declared incompetent cannot enter into valid marriage. In Florida, where the marriage happened, the law states an incapacitated person cannot marry without court approval.

Kim Belt now wants a criminal investigation opened into John and Avis Wingo Belt’s marriage. She’s asking the Henry County District Attorneys office to investigate because that’s the county listed as the couple’s address on their marriage certificate.

“We do not feel like this marriage is legal,” Kim Belt said. “[It] never will be legal, never has been legal.”

John Belt’s family does not have permanent guardianship of him yet. In a few weeks, Judge Riddle will review the case again to check on his progress and may make a final determination.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.