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Number One With a Bullett

Picking up the Casey Kasem saga five years after his death.  When we last left the beloved host of American Top 40 and the voice of Shaggy on Scooby-Doo, his second wife had sent his body to Norway for burial ostensibly because “Norway symbolizes peace and looks like heaven.”  She had previously claimed to have buried him there because she had ancestral ties to Norway.  

Why is this still in the news?  Kasem’s daughter, Kerri, is trying to exhume his body and return it to LA for burial.  Last year, his widow claimed that a private investigator proved that his children had caused his death.  After the police cleared them, his daughter now maintains that the widow abused him prior to his death.  His daughter has created a foundation to pass legislation in multiple states to stop elder abuse.

Planning points?  None.  Observations?  I will keep them brief.

1.  The disharmony between daughters and their step-moms is boundless.  Perhaps Kasem’s daughter could join forces with Tom Petty’s daughter to create a large foundation to vent their hatred towards their fathers’ second wives under the guise of something.

2.  The widow and daughter should stop pointing fingers at each other and realize that an 82 year old man long suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and Body Lewy Dementia had a short life expectancy and likely died of natural causes.  Per Howard Jones, no one is to blame.

3.  Related to the prior point, but with a more contemporary musical reference, both the daughter and widow should heed the advice in a Top 5 song the year of Kasem’s death and “Let It Go.”

Hat tip:  Debbe Levin for forwarding a podcast about this.

 

 

Photo Credit:  Jean Kasem

License:  Fair Use/Education (from linked article)

Norway – Land of Fjords, Trolls, and Casey Kasem’s Body

Following up on a post from last year, Casey Kasem’s widow finally buried his remains several weeks ago in Norway.  He supposedly had wished to be buried in LA, but she shipped his unembalmed (and malodorous) remains to Norway because she had ancestors from there.

Three quick points:

1.  Unembalmed and rotting remains in a foreign country are difficult to autopsy for purposes of determining elder abuse.

2.  The alleged Norwegian ancestral ties of a second wife should be unimportant in determining the burial site of an American of Lebanese descent.

3.  Perhaps the widow’s Norwegian ancestors are the trolls important in Norwegian folklore.

norwegian troll troll1

His Feet Should Be in the Ground

Casey Kasem died a month ago but his body remains unburied.  Reportedly, just prior to his daughter obtaining a court order to keep his body in the U.S., his wife had his body shipped to Montreal, the home of her alleged boyfriend.   Additionally, Jean Kasem’s law firm is seeking to resign as her attorneys after she has allegedly incurred unpaid legal bills of $500,000 during her dispute with his children. The law firm has threatened to file a claim a claim against his estate for payment of its services.

Two points, if I must:

1.  Creditors of a decedent can file a claim against the estate for unpaid debts.  Services rendered on behalf of one party in a deathbed dispute are not necessarily the responsibility of the estate especially if the party loses.

2.  I would would not think too long about continuing a romantic relationship with a meat throwing and scripture quoting partner who has her deceased husband’s remains shipped to my hometown.  To paraphrase Kramer on Seinfeld, “Two words, Jerry.  Break up.”

 

Jean Kasem, widow of Casey Kasem

Jean Kasem, widow of Casey Kasem

No More Scooby Snacks. Or Water.

The bizarre and emotional battle over the medical care of Casey Kasem is nearing an end.  An LA County judge has authorized his daughter to have doctors withdraw his feeding tubes.   The ruling follows Kasem’s wishes as expressed in his 2007 living will.  The ruling also adheres to his health care power of attorney which gave his daughter authority over his medical decisions (and not his wife).  Jean Kasem, an actress known for  playing dumb blonde roles, maintains that the daughter is sentencing him to death because she wants his money.

Several points:

1.  Usually a living will and health care power of attorney will avoid this acrimonious situation.

2.  It is too bad that the public has had to view the reason Kasem trusted his daughter with his medical decisions and not his wife.

3.  Like Kasem, I would not want someone who throws meat at others when angry in charge of my medical decisions.

casey 140606174651-04-kasem-0606-story-body

 

 

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I am an attorney located in Cincinnati, Ohio who practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, asset protection, and small business advice. I make a difficult and bewildering process as simple as possible. Most importantly, I provide "more for less" for my clients.