The Prudential Insurance Company of America v. Anne Marie Smith v. Irene M. Smith

TATE, Circuit Judge:

This interpleader action involves the competing claims of two former wives of a deceased serviceman, Sergeant Terry Joe Smith, to be the beneficiary, as his “widow,” of a Servicemen’s Group Life Insuranee (“SGLI”) policy issued to the deceased serviceman. 1 See 38 U.S.C. §§ 765 et seq. 2 The competing claimants are: Anne Marie Smith (“Anne Marie”), the first wife of the deceased serviceman; and Irene M. Smith (“Irene”), to whom the serviceman was subsequently married, after securing a divorce from Anne Marie, and with whom the serviceman was living at the time of his…