One day the Teacher called and said, “I’ve got to tell someone. I’m in love with Tanda, and she’s in love with me. We want to get married.” They planned the wedding for December 15th so that Dr. Box could attend before she went on her month long vacation to her native Australia.

As part of the treatment plan, Dr. Box moved Milligan onto a new ward, along with three other patients she had tentatively diagnosed as multiples. Since multiple personalities required specialized treatment and attention, she felt it might be best to have them together. Dr. Box was not prepared for the criticism by Columbus politicians which followed, two weeks before election day.

The Columbus Dispatch reported on October 17, 1981, that State Representative Don Gilmore, R-Columbus, had charged that Billy Milligan was receiving preferential treatment at the Columbus hospital, including: “Allowing Milligan to choose the patients who will live with him on the ward.” Though hospital administrators denied that Milligan was getting any preferential treatment, Gilmore continued to press his accusations.

The Columbus Citizen-Journal of November 19, reported:

Despite assurances that William Milligan is receiving no extra privileges at the Central Ohio Psychiatric Hospital, a state representative has asked for another investigation into the possibility. …

One of Gilmore s concerns centered around an incident several weeks ago when Milligan … reportedly ordered a bologna sandwich at 2:30 a.m. He said the hospital staff then had to prepare sandwiches for everyone in Milligans ward ….

Tanda tried for weeks to find a preacher, minister, priest, or judge who would perform the ceremony. Finally, she found a young Methodist minister, director of the city’s new transient “open shelter,” who agreed to marry them. Gary Witte had hoped to remain anonymous, fearing that the publicity might harm his work at the shelter. However, a Columbus Dispatch reporter recognized and identified him. “My personal philosophy,” the young minister told him, “is that I’ve always been for the underdog. … I did the ceremony because nobody else would do it …”

The marriage took place on December 22, 1981, with only the minister, an officer of the probate court who had brought the marriage license, and myself present. Dr. Box had already left for Australia. It was the Teacher who placed the ring on Tanda’s finger, and kissed her. Since Ohio does not have conjugal visits, there would be no possibility for them to be alone together unless he was transferred to a minimum security or a civil-mental hospital.

After the wedding, Tanda faced the dozens of waiting reporters, photographers, and TV cameramen at a brief press conference. She told them she had met most of the personalities and they had accepted her. She said a day would come when they would live a normal life.

Soon afterward, the Teacher and Tanda began to notice ominous changes. The Teacher was taken off all medication. Security began a pattern of shaking down his room, and strip-searching him before and after each visitor. Even Tanda was strip-searched on occasion when she came to visit. Both of them found it humiliating and felt it was calculated harassment.