48 Hours - The Mysterious Death of Casey Kasem

Episode Date: November 25, 2018

Four years after his death, a family feud erupts over radio legend Casey Kasem, exactly how he died and who was responsible -- an estate that could be worth $100 million is at stake. "48 Hour...s"' Peter Van Sant reports.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,
Starting point is 00:00:35 and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert
Starting point is 00:01:00 to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. James Brown and Papa Don't Take No Mess, Part 1. This is Casey Kasem in Hollywood on American Top 40. If you grew up in the 70s, the 80s, or the 90s, you knew that voice. As Michael Jackson threatens to take over the top spot.
Starting point is 00:01:49 Casey Kasem was everywhere, counting down the hits. Here's a tune that reached the top ten a few weeks ago, got as high as number nine. And if you're too young to remember that, how about this? Bing, doob! Casey was the voice of Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Here it comes. I love that man so much. I would have died for him.
Starting point is 00:02:18 Casey and I were married here. There were 500 people here. We had our friends and family. It was the most incredible day of my life. In 2014, Casey Kasem was dying of a Parkinson's-like disease. He was about to leave behind an enormous estate worth between $80 and $100 million. His family went to war over that money against each other. Gene killed my father.
Starting point is 00:02:53 And when you say killed, do you mean murder? What she did led to his death. That's a lie. It's a flat-out lie. Gene! Gene! Casey! to his death. That's a lie. It's a flat-out lie. G-D-Casey! He was perhaps the most famous person ever known for counting backwards. Radio legend Casey Kasem died today at the age of 82. I ran back in the room and I picked him up in my arms
Starting point is 00:03:20 and I held him so tight and I said, I have never loved anybody like I have loved you. She isolated him and tortured him. My dad was left to die in a facility. They chemically restrained him. They removed his hydration, his nutrition, and all proactive medical care. Not one decision was made by me. My dad was dying. And I looked at her, and I said, Dad's not gonna be here for very long.
Starting point is 00:03:55 You should get to the hospital. And she said? Oh, she wouldn't talk to me. That's what she did. Always. If you were going to count down the American top 40 family feuds, this battle would be number one. In the honor of King David, I give this piece of meat to you.
Starting point is 00:04:19 What person in their right mind throws frozen meat at you, screaming biblical verses? To the dogs, to the verses. There are always rabid dogs. It's so crazy and so weird. Your court ordered to be here today. They lie, they cheat, abuse is abuse, and they think that they can get away with it. Why does she hate us so much? Shame on these children! Shame! We have been stalked, tracked, bullied. It's not... none of what she says is ever true, so... They killed my husband. They killed their father. I'm going to go. And there you are.
Starting point is 00:05:31 I'm Casey Kasem. Till then, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. His family says Kasem's wife, Jean, illegally moved him from a facility where the 82-year-old was receiving treatment. He's very ill. He shouldn't be moved. There's never been a Hollywood drama quite like the family feud between the second wife of Casey Kasem... I am the owner of the house. ...and his children.
Starting point is 00:06:01 She unplugged my dad from his feeding tube. ...involving intrigue, money, and ultimately his children. She unplugged my dad from his feeding tube. Involving intrigue, money, and ultimately his death. It was May 7, 2014, and you could say the mystery started right here. And imagine this, it was 2.30 in the morning. That move that night was to get him out of the drama and to keep him safe and secure. We had had enough. Jeannie Kasem, Casey's wife of 34 years, says she was convinced her husband's life was in danger.
Starting point is 00:06:48 Jean Kasem has never fully told the story of Casey Kasem's drama. Tonight, she will. What were you thinking, Jeannie? I was thinking that it was time to protect my husband. The legendary radio host who suffers from dementia was checked out of an assisted living facility by his wife. It's a drama that really started all the way back in 1979
Starting point is 00:07:17 when Casey, then a divorced father of three, met Jeannie Thompson. She was a secretary at his agent's office. Casey fell for her. They were married exactly one year later at one of L.A.'s most luxurious hotels. So where are we right now? Well, right now we're where it all began, which is where Casey and I got married.
Starting point is 00:07:44 There were about 500 people here. It was an amazing day. The Reverend Jesse Jackson married the couple. It was a dream come true. Spectacular. Jeannie Thompson was 22 years younger than Casey. She grew up listening to him. I'm Casey Kasem.
Starting point is 00:08:07 Now we're up to our long-distance dedication. I was growing up on Guam at the time, and we only had armed forces radio over there. And I heard this DJ come on, and he announced this record. Then I went, oh, my God, who is this guy? Then he went, I'm Casey Kasem. We're going to miss the bus.
Starting point is 00:08:30 Keep your pants on. This will only take five minutes. She is a former actress, best known for her role on Cheers. She's got a way with colors and a flair for design. The happy couple eventually moved into this mansion in one of the chicest L.A. neighborhoods, Bel Air, just a hop away from the famous Playboy Mansion. Welcome to the Kasem House.
Starting point is 00:08:57 Back then, Kasem was on top of the world. I missed your countdown himself. Casey, Kasem, Casey, come on. Number seven is a favorite of anyone who's ever been in love. Here it is. And that voice, that voice. He didn't think it was so good. Really? He said, I'm just the guy next door. Hardly, he had launched American Top 40. This is Casey Kasem and we'd like to welcome you to American Top 40. Heard on more than 1,000 radio stations around the world. He made hundreds of voiceovers. Scooby-Doo, where are you? And that signature voice of Scooby-Doo's pal, Shaggy. This nightstick should do it. Casey was much more than a voice to his three kids from his first marriage,
Starting point is 00:09:46 Carrie, Mike, and Julie. He was their loving father. My father imparted so much wisdom on all of us when we were children. Education, education, education. Julie Kaysen became a physician's assistant. My dad imparted us to be humble, to treat people with kindness, to love those around you. So this is the studios, and my father still has a studio here. It's changed a little bit.
Starting point is 00:10:18 His oldest daughter, Carrie Kasem, helped out on his radio show. This is where he did American Top 40 and American Top 20. He would sit here, and he'd always have his water and his apple and rock candy for his voice. Carrie went into modeling, acting, and broadcasting. Radio personality and television host Carrie Kasem. His son Mike has a radio show in Singapore. Casey's children claim everything changed
Starting point is 00:10:52 once their father and Jeannie became engaged. Was there an estrangement? There was. Basically, they were upset with their father and angry with their father because he married me. And they were angry with me because I married their father. Casey and Jeannie would have their own daughter, Liberty. And as his success grew, they lived a full life.
Starting point is 00:11:22 Casey and Jeannie threw themselves into philanthropy. You realize it really is important to give something back and to help repair the world, because that's got to be my legacy. Everything from environmental issues to animal rights to progressive politics. We believed in a lot of charity. In 2007, at the age of 75, Casey Kasem was diagnosed with a Parkinson's-like disease called Lewy body dementia. It slows them down. They can either get rigid or shaking.
Starting point is 00:11:59 It may sometimes affect their speech. In 2009, he gave up his beloved radio show and signed off for the last time. Now, one more time, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. Casey would have no financial worries with an estate valued between $80 and $100 million. But around that time, Jeanne claims, his children became focused on one thing.
Starting point is 00:12:31 It was all about the money. We became the bank of Kasem, the personal ATM machine. Around 2012, according to Jeanne, Casey was fed up and cut them off financially. Jeanne says the kids were furious, but instead of getting mad, Jeannie claims Carrie and the others did something almost unimaginable. I believe that Carrie Kasem did kill my husband, that it was a long-term premeditated plan,
Starting point is 00:13:07 and he's gone. It's just lie after lie after lie without any evidence. Hear more about Casey from Gene, Carrie, and Julie on Facebook at 48 Hours. The children of legendary DJ Casey Kasem are demanding to know where is Kasem. Those adult children had put targets on our backs. Do you believe that your husband, Casey Kasem, feared his children?
Starting point is 00:13:49 Yes. And feared that they could do what? What they did. Which was? Kill him. That's ridiculous. That's just, that's ridiculous. There's no more evil in this world than Gene Thompson Kasem. Let me show you something.
Starting point is 00:14:12 Gene says the alleged plot started in this very room behind me on a lonely stretch of Hollywood Boulevard back in 2007. She says that Casey's children lured their disoriented father from his Bel Air mansion to this very store to sign a very important document. He was taken to a UPS store and he was asked to sign his life away while he was on medications.
Starting point is 00:14:40 He had sutures in his head. He did not have his glasses on, and he was out of it. Does that mean the UPS store? This video, shot by Carrie, shows Casey filling out a document that would give his children, and not Jeannie, the authority to be in charge of his future health care. It's video that Jeannie claims shows that Casey is obviously impaired. That's Casey's daughter, Julie. 5419 Suite C, you know what I mean? Put the address. And this is the document
Starting point is 00:15:15 Casey signed, laying the groundwork, Jeannie claims, that would lead to medical decisions that would kill Casey. Starting in 2013, as Casey's health declined, there were legal squabbles. Jeannie was trying to control when and where people could see Casey, including his own children. I was in tears. I was speechless. I called my sister bawling, and I said,
Starting point is 00:15:42 I just want to see Dad, and she won't let me. Jeannie also says she and I said, I just want to see Dad, and she won't let me. Jeannie also says she and her daughter Liberty became targets of a harassment campaign. Were you living in fear? Pretty much. Were you ever personally threatened by someone? It was a phone call that came in, I believe it was early in the morning, and there was a loud bang on the phone.
Starting point is 00:16:08 And I held my ear. I said, oh, my God, it sounds, what is that? And then I heard it again, and I recognized it as a gunshot. And did you report this to the police? Reported it to our lawyer. Reported a lot of the incidences to the police. Jeannie alleges someone smashed her front gate, her mail was stolen, and more. I believe that there's another surveillance van. There he is, right there. There he is. Go.
Starting point is 00:16:48 It was around this time that Jeannie claims Casey's children asked police and Adult Protective Services to check up on Casey. They were called by Carrie, Julie, whomever. Los Angeles police found no evidence of abuse or neglect. Jeannie claims that the harassment continued. She points to this demonstration right outside her home. Carrie and some supporters were demanding to see Casey. After three months of no communication, we finally said enough is enough. Finally here, at a rehab facility in Santa Monica, the mysterious last days of Casey Kasem's life
Starting point is 00:17:26 took a dramatic turn. Casey was very sick. He'd been in and out of hospitals for months, and there had been endless legal fights, mostly over visitation. I was thinking that it was time to protect my husband and leave the drama for all of us behind. Jeannie says she was keeping Casey at the rehab center under a fake name,
Starting point is 00:17:53 but somehow his adult children found out. Then, a few days later, on May 6th, Jeannie says Carrie and Julie gained access into the facility and even got into Casey's room. She says she was terrified and furious. It was about the money. Casey no longer was of any use to them. It was all about the money. It turns out that the adult children's power of attorney for medical decisions
Starting point is 00:18:27 had never taken effect. Carrie and Julie decided they needed to go to court to try to get custody of their dad. We had not seen him since February. Now this is May. But Jean was having none of it. The day she found out they were headed to court, she made a dramatic move. At 2.30 in the morning, Dr. Sejini ordered Casey's surgically implanted nutrition tube and IV disconnected and checked him out of the rehab facility. The doctor in charge of Casey's care
Starting point is 00:19:01 later wrote the following letter to police. Quote, She was informed of the risks of doing so and was told she was placing Mr. Kasem in great bodily harm or possible demise. He's saying that you could have killed him. That is not true. Casey was loaded into a black SUV
Starting point is 00:19:22 and disappeared into the darkness. We know he's ill. Kasem's daughter doesn't know where he is. Dad once told me, don't ever go up against Jean. You don't know what she's capable of. The children of legendary DJ Casey Kasem are demanding to know where he is. It was May 2014 when Casey Kasem vanished. This is Casey Kasem on American Top 40 in Hollywood. That iconic voice in the world was nowhere to be heard.
Starting point is 00:20:12 And his case was making big news. Casey Kasem's children have been saying that their stepmother has been isolating her. Nobody knew where my dad was. Nobody. I don't want to speak specifically. Nobody knew where my dad was. Nobody. His children went on national television. We want him back. He knows that we're his children. Pleading directly to Jeannie Kasem. We've told Jeannie, take it all. Take everything. Keep it. Just give us our dad back.
Starting point is 00:20:45 They were not only outraged that Jeannie had taken their father, but about how she had done it. Just give us our dad back. They were not only outraged that Jeannie had taken their father, but about how she had done it. Gene Kasem pulled my dad out at 2.30 in the morning out of a convalescent centre, unhooked his G-tube, unhooked his IV. He was supposed to be transported with an ambulance on a certain kind of mattress. No, she threw him in the back of an SUV that she didn't even get into herself.
Starting point is 00:21:11 With no pain meds, no food, no water, no nothing. And we were devastated. We knew this was the beginning of the end. But there would be no end to the family feud that had begun years earlier in that UPS store. Carrie and Julie insist they didn't trick their dad into signing that document, the one they hoped gave them control over his medical care.
Starting point is 00:21:44 Gene claims that Casey has no memory of ever signing that document. Watch the tape. Put the address. Put UPS store. You'll see my dad knew what he was doing, knew what he was signing. 54-19. Now estate planning is normally done in a lawyer's office. You're at a UPS store.
Starting point is 00:22:01 He was terrified that Gene would find out. Let me give you Gene's interpretation of what she told me. And this is you? Yep. And this is your father? Yes. Now, there's a circle here
Starting point is 00:22:12 because he supposedly had had a medical procedure and had sutures in his head. Is that true? To my knowledge, that is falsified information. In my opinion, Gene Kasem is a liar. 100% pathological liar. 48 Hours has confirmed that Casey had a procedure, but it was a minor one. Ten days before the signing, he had a small hair transplant.
Starting point is 00:22:38 Just like that story, just about everything both sides told us is in dispute. That story, just about everything both sides told us, is in dispute. Remember, ever since Casey married Jeannie, the relationship between the children from Casey's first marriage and their stepmother has been toxic. For example, take the arguments over money. The only thing she ever wanted from my dad is money. That's it. They live off my father. And she says the same thing to me about you.
Starting point is 00:23:08 But I work. I'm very proud of who I am. I'm very proud of how hard I've worked. I've been on air for 21 years. You know, working multiple jobs sometimes to pay the bills. I own my own home. My dad didn't buy that for me. The feud intensified after Casey's health deteriorated.
Starting point is 00:23:29 She had a plan to move him out of the house and cut us all off. Starting in 2012 is when I felt that the isolation began. I'm told by my sister, hey, I can't get a hold of dad, I can't get a hold of dad. My father was isolated, and we were not allowed to see him anymore. Remember that demonstration outside Casey's house? That day, Jeannie even called the cops. My dad's very ill, and he loves us.
Starting point is 00:24:00 Do you know why she's not allowed to see you? There's many reasons, but none of them are true. The whole drama climaxed in mid-May 2014. That's when Jeannie disappeared into the night with Casey. Desperate to find her dad, Carrie made this emotional appeal on TV. If you've seen anything, please call the police. Please. Days after that,
Starting point is 00:24:30 the battlefield in the War of the Kasims shifted to Las Vegas. That's where a private eye working for Kerry discovered the couple. Jeannie had taken Casey to a posh resort there, but not for long. Next, she put him on a charter flight. That private jet carrying a frail Casey Kasem flew northwest from Vegas, landing in Seattle. He was brought to a place not far from where I'm standing right now, 1,100 miles from his hospital bed in Santa Monica. And you wanted to get away from the madness in Los Angeles.
Starting point is 00:25:20 We were being photographed and followed to supermarkets and tortured, just tortured. Casey ended up in a place called Silverdale, a small town in western Washington. For the first time since those final days, we brought Jeannie back. Hi. Hi. It's so good to see you. back. Shasta Bartleheim grew up with Jeannie and they both hoped Casey would spend some quiet, peaceful days in her parents' home. Can you show me the bedroom? Where he was? Is that okay? Yes, absolutely. This is where Casey was. His hospital bed was here.
Starting point is 00:26:13 Very comfortable. My mother has a lot of Snoopy. She's an avid Snoopy collector. So Casey was in his hospital bed with all these Snoopys around him. Here. And we had all of his medical supplies. Some were here, some were in another room. Was he in pain?
Starting point is 00:26:30 No. No, he was not in any pain in this house, ever. Acting on a tip, Washington Adult Protective Service and Kitsap County Sheriff's deputies came by to check on Casey. Mr. Casey and his wife are here visiting. We did check on his welfare. He seems to be doing fine. He was upright. He could communicate.
Starting point is 00:26:52 But Casey's stay here was about to come to an end. Carrie won a new court order. She was coming from L.A. to get Casey and take him to a hospital. And things were about to get weird. In the honor of King David. Very weird. To the dogs, to the dogs. In late May 2014, Casey Kasem was counting down his days in Silverdale, Washington,
Starting point is 00:27:40 in this home attended to by a doctor, his family and close friends. He was content. He was very happy. He smiled, shook our hands. It was just, it was nice. Shasta Bartelheim, a nurse's assistant, has known Casey since 1980. She helped care for him. Was he still able to converse, answer questions? Yes, he would speak. It was a whisper, kind of a sound. When he talked, he wasn speak. It was a whisper, kind of a sound when he talked. He wasn't grimacing in any pain. On June 1st, 2014, when Carrie Kasem, armed with a court order, came to pick up her father and take him to the hospital, Jeannie was waiting. waiting. Carrie arrives as usual with media in tow, her attorney. We pull up and then fire trucks show up, another ambulance shows up because Jean has cause to fit. As seen in this broadcast on NBC News. I saw geriatric Harley Davidson riders that were forming a line to not let me in.
Starting point is 00:28:45 It's so crazy and so weird. That line of bikers was led by Shasta's brother. Casey started yelling, I don't want to go. I don't want to leave. No, no, no. He was frightened. His eyes were big. He didn't want to leave.
Starting point is 00:29:01 No, he didn't want to leave. Acting on that court order, EMTs removed Casey. So show me where they took him. Down this hallway here, headed for the door. He headed out, and what was out here out in the street? The ambulance was there. There were a couple of ambulance. Terrified, Jeannie called her lawyer. I dropped the phone, and I turned around to look for
Starting point is 00:29:25 something and there was meat in the kitchen. It was frozen hamburger. I grabbed the meat and I came out here and then I started walking this way with the So... In the honor of King David, go ahead and take me. Then she took aim. I am, I am. I give this meat to you, to the dogs. Jean throws a piece of frozen meat at me, screaming nonsense. I give this piece of meat to you. Why meat, though? Why grab meat? To me, they were treating my husband, an American treasure,
Starting point is 00:30:02 Casey Kasem, like a piece of meat. Insane, crazy. You saw the real Gene Thompson Kasem. So, if I may ask you, are you crazy, Jeannie? No, I'm not. To the dogs! To the dogs! Carrie dodged the meat attack, then jumped in the ambulance with her dad and sped away to a local hospital where a doctor was standing by. The first thing he said to me, right when I got him in the hospital,
Starting point is 00:30:37 your dad may not live very long, I'm just going to let you know. When Casey arrived here at St. Anthony's Hospital, his diagnosis was grim. He had, according to hospital records, a urinary tract infection and a stage 3 ulcer of his back. That's an open wound going almost to the bone. Within days, doctors would also diagnose septic shock, respiratory failure, a lung infection, and a host of other ailments. The change was so drastic, it was maddening. He was extremely thin. His face was sunken in. Shastas says Casey, who was taken out of the house that day, was nowhere near death.
Starting point is 00:31:25 Oh, no. No. Heavens no. Not at all. The next day, Jeannie tried to get Casey out of the hospital. On June 2nd, we had an emergency court hearing, and the judge ordered that he could return home. Once, his personal physician spoke with the attending physician at the hospital. Just before 10 that night, Jean arrived here at the hospital,
Starting point is 00:31:53 along with Shasta and her attorney. They claimed that the physician treating Casey had told them to come and pick him up. And he said his overnight observation has concluded, and he's discharged. But when she arrived, the doctor wouldn't release him, saying Casey was in pain. He wasn't in any pain. They wanted him to be in pain. Jeannie refused to leave without Casey. She started screaming. They had to call the police to get her out of the facility.
Starting point is 00:32:27 And three days later... We had three doctors come in and say, This is futile. Your father's dying. His organs are shutting down. He can no longer digest food. Carrie and her siblings now faced a wrenching decision. They say they followed a doctor's recommendation to stop Casey's hydration and nutrition.
Starting point is 00:32:50 I couldn't hear it. I got upset. I said, isn't there something we can do? What if we try this? What if we try that? Because I was the fighter. I wasn't going to let him go. On June 6th, the Kasem children alerted Jeannie. Julie called my lawyer and said to my lawyer that we're losing him. She should come to the hospital right away. Jeannie and Liberty rushed to the hospital,
Starting point is 00:33:19 but claimed they were only permitted to see Casey for a few minutes. were only permitted to see Casey for a few minutes. We were given five minutes to say goodbye to a man that I was married to for 34 and a half years. He looked at me, and he was scared to death. I went to the bed. I held his hand. He grabbed my arm. Did Casey say anything to you?
Starting point is 00:33:46 He said that he loved me. And I told him that I loved him. Jeannie was desperate to get Casey's life support restored. Jeannie was desperate to get Casey's life support restored. My first and foremost thing was to save my husband's life. Every second counted. She flew back to California, hoping to get the court to order it. Over the next few days, there would be several motions filed.
Starting point is 00:34:28 The doctors said, unfortunately, there is nothing more we can do to keep your father alive. That was the hardest thing to hear. That's our dad. On June 15, 2014, Casey Kasem, the beloved radio icon, passed away. He was 82. We were all surrounding him on the bed with our hands on him. Every single one of us was touching him as he took his last breath. We were all there, all of us. And who was missing?
Starting point is 00:35:06 His wife and Liberty. It was 100% their choice not to be there. This court order says you can visit him at any time. No one can stop you. And what Carrie is saying is that you chose not to see Casey anymore in the hospital. That's not true. That is not true at all. We were afraid to anymore in the hospital. That's not true. That is not true at all. We were afraid to go to the hospital. In death, the war of the Kasems grew even more fierce.
Starting point is 00:35:35 He did not die of natural causes. They planned it, and they killed him. Jean killed my father, whether it was premed father. Whether it was premeditated or whether it was just by her careless actions. If someone killed your father, wouldn't you want justice?
Starting point is 00:36:15 In June 2014, Casey Kasem's death was felt across the globe. And there was one guy on the radio I used to listen to all the time who passed away today, and so I want to dedicate this song to Casey Kasem. Travel safely, my angel. And travel he would. Casey's body was taken from Silverdale to Sea-Tac Airport, where it was flown to Montreal. And why Montreal? He was there for a time because his burial was being obstructed. Casey's body remained in Canada on ice for weeks. for a time because his burial was being obstructed.
Starting point is 00:36:49 Casey's body remained in Canada on ice for weeks. As his widow, Jeannie had full control over his burial. Casey and I had spoken about this, about where he would like to be buried, and it was in Israel. But Casey's children thought that was crazy. My dad's as American as apple pie. He lived in Los Angeles for 58 years.
Starting point is 00:37:13 He wanted to be buried in Los Angeles. Casey's body took flight again, this time to, of all places, Norway. Where Jeannie orchestrated a burial fit for a king. Only she and Liberty were at Casey's gravesite. But they did bring their own camera crew. Why Norway of all places? There are concrete reasons for that. But because I'm in litigation,
Starting point is 00:37:49 I can't share that with you. My dad's never been to Norway. She's not Norwegian. What is going on here? When you tell so many lies, you get caught up in them. After Casey's death, the battle between the Kasems went nuclear. Both sides in this epic family feud sued the other for wrongful death.
Starting point is 00:38:11 What she did to my dad was elder abuse. Straight and simple. That trip is what cost my dad his life. He could have had two or three more years. She took him from us. You want to call it murder? You want to say she killed him? He's dead because of her.
Starting point is 00:38:35 Casey's children accused Jeannie of a pattern of neglect, where she secretly moved Casey from one care center to the next. And she used the hospitals and the facilities as a babysitter so she didn't have to take care of him. I say that that's a flat-out lie. I was there. I was in touch with the doctors. Jean Kasem accuses the children of hastening his death by pulling the plug on Casey. plug on Casey. They chemically restrained him. They removed his hydration, his nutrition,
Starting point is 00:39:12 and all proactive medical care. It was the equivalent of leaving Casey Kasem in the desert to die. I really, really don't feel well. It's been a never-ending drama, even when Kerry's lawyers finally deposed Gene. I really, really don't feel well. It's been a never-ending drama, even when Carrie's lawyers finally deposed Jean. The court ordered to be here. She fainted, blaming the episode on medication.
Starting point is 00:39:40 And besides accusing each other of killing Casey, there's that battle royale over his fortune. As seen in this 2017 Inside Edition video, the mansion has become the latest battleground. The house hasn't been taken care of. The taxes aren't paid. They've destroyed everything. They've killed everything. There's no electricity on.
Starting point is 00:40:00 There's no running water. At the request of Casey's children, a court-appointed trustee attempted to remove and store some of Casey's memorabilia. How does it feel to go through Casey Kasem's belongings after he was murdered? Meanwhile, the fight over Casey's assets, lawyers say, could take years. Today you are fighting for damages and access to your father's I am fighting for justice that is what I'm fighting for.
Starting point is 00:40:29 My father's wife Jean Thompson Kaysen didn't want us at the house wouldn't pass phone calls along. Four years ago Kerry started a foundation to help pass legislation to protect the visitation rights of children. I was doing everything I possibly could to see my dad, and the law didn't help me in California. To date, 12 states have passed a visitation bill, including California. It passed a year after he died,
Starting point is 00:40:57 but I kept fighting till I won. Despite Kerry's claims of elder abuse and negligence, the Los Angeles district attorney declined to prosecute Jeannie Kasem, citing insufficient evidence. JEANNIE KASEM, Los Angeles District Attorney, The police and the D.A. won't do a damn thing. That is why we're fighting. Take the money. Take it all.
Starting point is 00:41:18 I want her in jail. JOHN YANG, Just last month, 48 Hours has learned that Washington's Gig Harbor Police Department has assigned a detective to look into Casey's death. He's combing through medical records and conducting interviews. According to Jeannie, it was at her request. I've been breaked raped ever since this started. While the legal wheels grind ahead, this American icon, with his own star on Hollywood Boulevard,
Starting point is 00:41:55 is buried in an unmarked grave in Oslo, Norway. I'm going to bring my father back to the United States of America where he belongs. I'm Casey Kasem. And just as Casey Kasem's legendary voice is certain to carry on... Till then, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. His family is determined to keep fighting. I'm not going to quit.
Starting point is 00:42:24 I'm the daughter of a Marine. My father is right here with me right now and every single day of my life. She can never take him away from me again. The Kasem family's wrongful death suit against Jean is scheduled for court next spring. Jean is filed a counter wrongful death suit against Gene is scheduled for court next spring. Gene is filed a counter wrongful death suit. The outcome of the case could decide who inherits Casey Kasem's fortune.
Starting point is 00:42:55 Casey Kasem's radio show can still be heard in syndication around the world. Learn more about the life of Casey Kasem from his close friends at 48hours.com If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. The scary cult classic was set in the Chicago housing project. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror.
Starting point is 00:43:50 Candyman. Candyman? Now we all know chanting a name won't make a killer magically appear. But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. We're going to talk to the people who were there, and we're also going to uncover the larger story. My architect was shocked when he saw how this was created.
Starting point is 00:44:16 Literally shocked. And we'll look at what the story tells us about injustice in America. If you really believed in tough on crime, then you wouldn't make it easy to crawl into medicine cabinets and kill our women. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, early and ad-free with a 48 hours plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge?
Starting point is 00:44:39 Or why nearly every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly? Introducing the best idea yet, a brand new podcast from Wondery and T-Boy about the surprising origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who brought them to life. Like, did you know that Super Mario, the best-selling video game character of all time, only exists because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye? Or Jack, that the idea for the McDonald's Happy Meal first came from a mom in Guatemala?
Starting point is 00:45:09 From Pez dispensers to Levi's 501s to Air Jordans, discover the surprising stories of the most viral products. Plus, we guarantee that after listening, you're going to dominate your next dinner party. So follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Best Idea Yet early and ad-free right now
Starting point is 00:45:28 by joining Wondery Plus. It's just the best idea yet.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.