The Unbelievable Love Story of Mary Kay and Villi Fualaau

Mary Katherine Schmitz, later known as Mary Kay Letourneau, was born in Tustin, California in 1962.

In 1997, Mary Katherine, who was a teacher, admitted to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child. The victim was Vili Fualaau, who was just 12 years old when their sexual relationship began. At the time, he was a sixth-grade student at an elementary school in Burien, Washington, where Mary was his teacher.

While awaiting sentencing for her crimes, Mary Katherine Fualaau gave birth to a child fathered by Vili Fualaau, the victim of her sexual offenses.

Inside the Story

Vili Fualaau was a student of Mary Kay Letourneau in both his second-grade and sixth-grade classes at Shorewood Elementary School. Their relationship, which began as a platonic one, turned sexual when Letourneau was 34 and Fualaau was 12. On June 18, 1996, Letourneau and Fualaau were found by the police in a car parked in a marina, raising concerns about their inappropriate relationship.

First Arrest

During the incident on June 18, 1996, Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau provided false names when asked for identification, and Fualaau lied about his age, claiming he was 18 years old. Fualaau denied that any touching had occurred between them.

However, Letourneau was eventually arrested on March 4, 1997, after a relative contacted the authorities about her relationship with Fualaau. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape.

While awaiting sentencing, Letourneau gave birth to her first child with Fualaau, a daughter, on May 29, 1997. The state initially sought a sentence of six and a half years in prison, but through a plea agreement, Letourneau's sentence was reduced to six months in the county jail (three of which were suspended) and three years of sex offender treatment.

As part of her plea agreement, Mary Kay Letourneau was ordered to have no contact with Vili Fualaau, her five children, or any other minors. This was a common condition for those convicted of sex crimes, intended to prevent any further harm to minors and protect the community from potential recidivism. The terms of the plea agreement underscored the seriousness of Letourneau's crimes and the need for accountability and rehabilitation.

Second Arrest

Just two weeks after completing her jail sentence, Mary Kay Letourneau was found by the police in a car with Vili Fualaau near her home on February 3, 1998. This violated the terms of her parole, which prohibited her from having contact with Fualaau or any other minors.

The incident raised concerns about Letourneau's ability to abide by the conditions of her release and fueled public scrutiny of the case. It also led to further legal consequences for Letourneau, who was sentenced to several additional months in prison for the parole violation.

Following the incident in which Mary Kay Letourneau was found in a car with Vili Fualaau, the judge revoked her prior plea agreement and reinstated her original sentence of seven and a half years in prison for violating the no-contact order. Letourneau was returned to custody and served the remainder of her sentence.

Mary Kay Letourneau gave birth to her second daughter with Vili Fualaau on October 16, 1998.

Release From Prison and Marriage To Fualaau

Mary Kay Letourneau was released from prison to a community placement program on August 4, 2004, after serving her sentence for the sexual relationship with Vili Fualaau. As a condition of her release, she was required to register as a level 2 sex offender with the King County Sheriff's Office the following day.

After Mary Kay Letourneau's release from prison, Vili Fualaau, who was then 21 years old, filed a motion with the court to reverse the no-contact order against her. The court ultimately granted his request, allowing the two to communicate and eventually reconcile.

In 2005, Letourneau and Fualaau were married in a ceremony at the Columbia Winery in Woodinville, Washington. The marriage was controversial and attracted significant media attention, with many questioning the appropriateness of the relationship and the potential impact on their children.

The couple separated in August 2019, but when Mary died in July 2020 from colorectal cancer, she left the majority of her estate to Fualaau.