Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Top crimes of 2018 & Was iconic DJ Casey Kasem murdered?

Episode Date: December 31, 2018

Killer fathers, husbands, step-parents & fiances are behind the top crime stories of 2018. Alan Duke reviews them. Then, Nancy Grace digs into the death of Casey Kasem. His widow and oldest children accuse each other of killing the iconic DJ.  Jean Kasem talks to Nancy Grace about her claims, along with a panel of experts including psycho analyst Dr Bethany Marshall, defense lawyer Troy Slaten, forensics expert Joseph Scott Morgan, and family & divorce lawyer Kathleen Murphy. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Do you know another parent or expecting parent? Are you wondering what can I give them as a gift? Don't give them another onesie. Don't give them a plastic toy or God forbid a toy gun that's just going to end up in the garage. Give them something that matters and what matters the most is protecting their child.

What do you love most in the world? Your children. What will you do to protect them? Anything. I sat down with the smartest people I know in the world on matters of child safety, finding missing children, fighting back against predators, and what I learned is so important, powerful, and information so critical. I want you to have it. I want them to have it. Go to crimestopshere.com for a five-part series

with action information that you can use to change your life and protect your child. Give that as a gift, not another onesie. Find out how to protect your child when you're out at the mall or the store or the grocery, in the parking lot, at home. Find out about protection regarding babysitters and daycare, even online. I'd rather have that any day of the week than a plastic toy or, God forbid, a toy gun. Join Justice Nation. Go to crimestopshere.com. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, but first the special CrimeOnline.com end of the year review. 2018 was a year of scientific advances that helped crime fighters catch bad guys, new strategies

for using DNA, better tracking of cell phone signals, and improved use of digital evidence. It was also a year of unexplainable crimes, husbands, fathers, step-parents killing spouses and their children. The top six crime stories of 2018 is covered by Nancy Grace. Number six, the disappearance of Jamie Closs, the 13-year-old girl who vanished as both parents are shot dead at their Wisconsin home in October. Barron County, Wisconsin Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald says a mysterious 911 call made from a cell phone inside the home is a major clue in the case. The 911 call was given that night from the residents on a cell phone,

but no contact was made with somebody that was on the other line, and that's what's unusual about that 911 call. There was no one communicating with our dispatch. Jamie is still missing, and the murders of her parents, unsolved. The tip line for anyone with information on Jamie's whereabouts is 1-855-744-3879. See details at CrimeOnline.com. Crime story number five for 2018, the kidnapping and murder of Iowa college student Molly Tibbetts.

The 20-year-old woman vanished on July 18th, triggering a major search and investigation that ended nearly five weeks later with the arrest of Christian Rivera, who led police to where he dumped her body. Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Rick Rahn. She was found in a cornfield and there were corn stalks placed over the top of her. Rivera was charged with snatching Molly as she jogged on a Brooklyn, Iowa street, then killing her and dumping her body in a cornfield. An autopsy concluded she died from multiple sharp force injuries. Crime story number four,

the arrest of a suspect in the Golden State killer cases. Intended to help trace genealogy, California investigators identified 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo as the man believed to have murdered at least 13 people and committed more than 50 rapes from 1974 through 1986. Jane Carson Sandler was the fifth victim of what was then known as Sacramento's East Area Rapist. She joined Nancy Grace for a Crime Stories podcast at CrimeCon just days after DeAngelo's arrest. My husband, Roger, and I, we cried and we sobbed and we laughed and we jumped up and down and just could not believe it. And I've said before, I think we could have woken up the hotel. We were just so joyous.

Crime story number three for 2018, the disappearance and murder of mom Kelsey Barrett, a flight instructor who vanished from Woodland Park, Colorado on Thanksgiving Day. But it was two weeks before her mother reported her missing. A major clue came as investigators realized her cell phone pinged 800 miles away in Twin Falls, Idaho. District Attorney Dan May. Yes, her phone did end up in Idaho and we are still working to recover that phone and that's about all I can comment, but that phone information was accurate. Her phone did end up in Idaho and we are working to try to recover that. Fiance Patrick Frazee was arrested on a first-degree murder charge just before Christmas. Detectives concluded that he killed

Bereth in her home, but where he hid her body remained a mystery. The number two crime story of 2018 was the disappearance and death of little Lucas Hernandez, a five-year-old who vanished from his Wichita, Kansas home in February while under the care of stepmom Emily Glass. It was North Carolina private investigator David Marshburn who coaxed Glass into leading him to where she dumped Lucas's body under a rural bridge and he recorded Glass as she began to confess to harming her stepson. I did Lucas so wrong. I did him wrong. God honest truth. Emily Glass took her own life on June 6th in the same home where Lucas is believed to have died.

And the top crime story of 2018 was the disappearance and murder of pregnant Colorado mom Shanann Watts and her two young daughters. It began in August when the mother and kids vanished from their Denver area home. Husband father Chris Watt spoke to a Denver television reporter in the first days. Shanann, Bella, Celeste, if you're out there, just come back. If somebody has her, just please bring her back. I need to see everybody. I need to see everybody again. This house is not complete without anybody here. Please bring it back.

But it didn't take long for detectives to realize there was something wrong with Chris Watts' story. Security video from a neighbor showed the husband loading what turned out to be his family's remains into his truck. A mistress came forward to police. Finally, a confession from Chris Watts, who led police to where he stuffed his daughters, Belle and Celeste, in oil tanks and where he stuffed his daughters, Belle and Celeste, in oil tanks and where he buried his wife in a shallow grave. Watts took a plea deal to avoid a death penalty trial, and he was sentenced to serve the rest of his life in prison and transferred to Wisconsin for his own protection. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

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. 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. It was all about the money. We became the bank of Kasem, the personal ATM machine.

You're hearing the widow of legendary Casey Kasem, that's Jean Kasem, accusing his children of focusing on nothing but money being interviewed by CBS Peter Van Zandt. Well, the plot thickens. Listen. Around 2012, according to Jeannie, Casey was fed up and cut them off financially. Jeannie 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, and he's gone. It's just lie after lie after lie without any evidence. You are hearing reporter Peter Van Zandt with CBS interviewing Casey Kasem's widow. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us.

What happened to legendary star Casey Kasem? Right now, in a bizarre twist, his widow claims his three children from his first marriage, not her bio children, conspired to murder him for his money. But they say she is the one who killed the radio star. With me right now, Alan Duke joining me from LA. Alan, just give me a bare bones. What happened? This legend of radio, it was diagnosed with Lewy body disease, which is a Parkinson-like disease that is degenerative. He deteriorated over the next seven years, and there was some serious family feuding

going on between the three children from his first marriage and his then wife, his widow, now Jean Kasem. He'd been married to for about 30 years before his death and and and each say it is all about the money well they're both saying that but right now the question is what happened to Casey Kasem listen that move that night was to get him out of the drama and to keep him safe and secure we we had had enough. Jeannie Kasem, Casey's wife of 34 years, says she was convinced her husband's life was in danger. What were you thinking, Jeannie?

I was thinking that it was time to protect my husband. You are hearing her explaining why she took Casey out of a Santa Monica care facility and took him on a, quote, road trip in May. He's ailing. He's suffering from this syndrome. She thought she had to protect him, so she says, by taking him out of a care facility. The legendary DJ, Casey Kasem's widow, claims his three grown children conspired to kill him for the $100 million estate, but they blame her, Jean Kasem, his second wife. She says the children tricked their father into signing over power of attorney to them, and they are the ones responsible for his death.

But what really happened? Joining me right now, Troy Slayton, defense lawyer out of LA, high profile defense lawyer. You're very close with the children, have just spoken recently to Carrie. What's your understanding of what's happening, Troy? Is that everything that Jean is saying is completely belied by the facts, where she claims that Carrie killed her husband by essentially pulling the plug. What happened was hydration and nutrition was removed by the order of, or at the recommendation of three doctors, internist a hospitalist and an ethicist and the judge in los angeles gave carrie casem that those that authority to allow the doctors

to do what they thought was best okay wait wait let me understand this um so it's the daughter who made the decision to pull the plug it was casey casey it was the daughter following the orders or the recommendation of three doctors well i can tell you this troy slayton i hear what you're saying uh and you're very good friends with the children that when it came right down to it i did not want the plug pulled on my father. I wanted him to live if there was any chance. I was having a showdown with the doctors hoping that he could live. And I also find it very interesting. Joining me psychoanalyst Dr. Bethany Marshall, also in LA. Why does everything happen in LA? Don't you people have enough money and enough luxury homes and cars and plastic surgery to be happy. Because from what I am understanding, it's her, Jean Kasem, the wife, the second wife,

is the one who hires a private investigator who concludes that Casey Kasem was the victim of homicide. Now, that's according to 48 Hours. She's the one that hires the PI to find out what happened. Right. What am I missing here, Bethany? Well, I mean, if she hired the PI, it doesn't imply that she would be guilty. You know, Nancy, I hear this from a mental health perspective. In the 70s and the 80s, we had this term blended families that if the dad remarried, then the stepmother and the stepchildren would live happily ever after. Bethany, Bethany, you know, you're much too glamorous to make your own breakfast, but I make John David a smoothie. And when you blend things, sometimes there's big chunks in it that just don't go down very well.

So we talk about a blended family. I think this one had a few chunks in it that didn't go down very well. That's why I say the idea of the blended family was a myth. There's a lot of research regarding blended families and what's happening in the Casey Kasem family happens in every other family. Initially, the stepchildren idealize their stepmother. The stepmother is like the bestie. And then within a few years, they begin to hate the stepmother. She's not my mom. It's your fault my dad divorced. You're not really his wife. And there's a very telling statement. I think it's Carrie Kasem or one of the children said, why did Jean get the mansion when I work for a living? So somehow these kids feel that the money that was given to the wife of 34 years should be going to

them. And I think that's what this is all about, is they don't think that she's his real wife, but she is. She might be crazy. She may have made very poor medical decisions. Maybe she did, against doctor's advice, load him in the back of an SUV in a paranoid state and take him to a private home to nurse him for the remainder of his months or years. But she was still his wife. And I think that's where the confusion lies in all of this. Can you tell me something, Bethany, Dr. Bethany, joining me along with Troy Slayton, Joseph Scott Morgan, Kathleen Murphy, and Alan Duke, and of course, joining us shortly will be Jean Kasem. Bethany, when my dad was on his deathbed, and it pains me to even say those

words in the same sentence, I just wasn't thinking straight. Every night I would make him a cup of decaf and a certain way. And I would give him a dessert after supper. Now he was borderline diabetic and had heart issues. So I'd have to make a special dessert. Okay. And I remember this and I don't know what was in my head but as he was lying there and everybody else was saying you can go now it's okay let go I was literally in his ear saying come home daddy I'll make you a cup of decaf come home don't go do not go don't leave me well so I'm just projecting what may have been going through her mind. I mean, that makes no sense at all.

Like loading him up in the back of the station wagon and taking him. It doesn't make any sense. It doesn't have to make sense. Well, well, to me, it makes sense if you think that the stepchildren are nipping at the parents' heels, wanting the money, trying to visit the dad. And I understand why they would want to visit the dad. I'm just

taking this from a research perspective and what I know happens in all families. Most families, when a stepmother is introduced, that the children develop great animosity for the step parent. And then the step parent sometimes gets very paranoid and very crazy in an attempt to protect the marriage. This happens in case after case after case. I've seen it in my practice. There's research that backs this up. So I think this is the underlying theme that could account for all the craziness, as well as $80 to $100 million is that the stepkids did not feel that their stepmother was rendering good care. Now, should she have loaded him up in the back of an SUV? Absolutely not. And she did it AMA, against medical advice.

But the fact that the children wanted to pull the plug, I think, is very suspicious. Because unless a patient has cancer and is in extraordinary pain or is on life support, usually family members do not want to pull the plug. They want to sit by the side of their loved one and let them slowly drift away. And that's how it goes. So the pulling of the plug is very mysterious to me. But Nancy, that wasn't the case here. The doctors, three doctors said that having him hooked up to hydration and nutrition, which sounds like, you know, a basic life support that you would give anyone, you don't want anyone to starve or die of dehydration, that those were actually killing him because his organs were

shutting down and his G-tube was backing up, that those things were actually causing him more pain than they were doing good. And a judge made a distinct finding that Gene Kasem was not acting in his best interest. Do you believe that your husband, Casey Kasem, feared his children? 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. You were hearing just a tiny taste of what's been going on regarding the death of DJ superstar Casey Kasem, who can't remember America's Top 40. And the voice of Shaggy, for Pete's sake, in Scooby-Doo. I remember when I was doing Dancing with the Stars,

and it was the first time I was away from the children for extended periods of time. And my husband allowed my son to develop a very unhealthy obsession with Scooby-Doo. So we watched it night and day. We'd order the DVDs, we'd scour the aisles of Target for more Scooby-Doo. That voice will go down in history. We're talking about not just his stellar career, but the death of Casey Kasem. Right now, what we understand is that Casey Kasem's widow, claiming his three adult children

from his first marriage, conspired to kill Casey for his money. But they say she, quote, air quote, murdered the radio legend. What is the answer? We just left off in a feud between Bethany Marshall, Dr. Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst in L.A., and Troy Slayton, high-profile defense attorney in L.A., who is very dear friends with Kasem's children. Shouldn't it be a simple matter to Joseph Scott Morgan, death investigator, professor of forensics, Jacksonville State University, author of Blood Beneath My Feet on Amazon, to figure out why he died? What do you know about the disease he had, Joe Scott? Yeah, Lewy body dementia is in kind of the same class as Parkinson's,

but it has a different feel for it. And many times people are initially misdiagnosed with Parkinson's, which many of us that have people with Parkinson's in our families, we've noted tremors and the unsteady gait and this sort of thing. But with the Lewy body dementia, over a period of time, you begin to see that people will present with hallucinations. They're disoriented. And it ends with them completely in a contracted state where they're not able to even take care of themselves. Their basic needs. Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. When you say a contracted state, okay, does that mean they physically die from the disease or are they mentally disintegrated? Yeah, they disintegrate mentally, but also as a result of that, their physical faculties fail them. They can't feed themselves.

They become very rigid. And many times they'll begin to hallucinate. And, you know, they'll see things that aren't, you know, that aren't part of reality. And they're muted as well. They lose the ability to actually speak. So you have a person, an adult person who is in a very infantile state at this point. They're very, very vulnerable. Now, this is what we know.

Leading up to Casey Kasem's death, there was another battle brewing. The eldest daughter of 81-year-old Casey Kasem is claiming that her stepmother, Jean Kasem, is banning her and her siblings, her uncle, and Casey's closest friends from seeing him. Carrie Kasem tells CNN that she used to visit her dad once a week until about three months ago when she was suddenly no longer allowed visitation. There have been some accusations that Casey's children want access to him because they're after his estate, and that's something Carrie strongly denies. Here's what she told CNN about that.

My dad told us a long time ago we were not in the will, and we're okay with that. We've known that for years. I don't want any of his money. My father taught us to stand on our own two feet and I'm proud of that. It's not about the money. We love our father and he's been ripped from us. You are hearing my friend A.J. Hammer reporting regarding what was going on before Casey passed away to Kathleen Murphy. We need you now, Kathleen. Family lawyer joining us. It sounds like the children are battling to have visitation with their father. That sounds exactly like that to me too, Nancy. And it appears to me that they were resigned to not getting the money. They loved their dad. We love our dad. And I don't see any motives on the part of the children, any motives

except for the true love of their father. Well, it's a little confusing to me because what we're hearing, and Troy Slayton, I want you to listen to this. You're the defense lawyer signing with the children. I'm not signing with anybody, by the way, because I don't know the answer yet. But the children, they say, were fine about being written out of the will. But listen to this. 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. 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 because he supposedly had had a medical procedure and had sutures in his head. Is that true? To my knowledge, that is falsified information. You were hearing right there, that CBS reporter Peter Van Zandt questioning the daughter, Carrie Kasem, about the unusual circumstances about how she and her siblings got their dad to sign a trust document at a Hollywood UPS store. You know, United Parcel Services. So why is such an important document being signed by him at the UPS store at the counter a very serious legal document with a guy with a hundred

million dollar fortune what what's happening and then the other allegations that he actually had stitches in his head and was being presented with this document by his daughter to sign what if anything does it mean now the daughter says he knew exactly what he was doing. Not so, says his widow of 34 years, Jean Kasem. And right now, Jean Kasem is joining us live. Ms. Kasem, thank you for being with us. Hello, Nancy. Thank you for having me. Ms. Kasem, over all the years I've watched you and Casey Kasem on red carpets and Hollywood events. And he's always dressed in a black tuxedo,

and you're always just in this glamorous dress with the beautiful hair. I'm looking at you right now with your hair all done up in a red glittery dress, and you both have beautiful smiles. And it just seems like you had the world by the tail. What happened, Jean? Well, like you said, we were married for 34 years, and we had a beautiful life, and we were inseparable, and we worked very hard. And when we weren't working, we worked even harder for charitable events. Jean, I don't understand how everything went sideways.

I know that Casey Kasem, who I'm just a huge fan, I was just telling the others a story of, I know he's gone from your world, but in our world, my children watch Scooby-Doo incessantly. And, of course, the top 40 is still in syndication right now. He is living on forever. Yes. I don't understand.

I know he was ill, but I don't understand what's happening now. I know that he left you his estate. And at that time, the grown children said, hey, we're fine with that. We've got our own money. But then how did this legal document end up getting signed, an executorship I believe, at a UPS store and it's caught on video? Well, ironically, this is a real Scooby-Doo mystery, isn't it, Nancy? Hi, Nancy Grace here. Have you ever Googled yourself, your neighbors, somebody at work, a crush?

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using truth finder what you find may astound you go to truthfinder.com forward slash nancy right away to start searching truthfinder.com forward slash nancy truthfinder.com forward slash nancy find the truth crime stories with nancy grace with me is casey casem's widow jeanem, married to Casey, the legend, for nearly 40 years. What do you believe happened, Ms. Kasem? Well, I think everybody needs to go back to the year 2013 when they filed the first corrupt guardianship attempt of my husband and in in the court sealed documents the first stipulation was to consent refusal of consent or withdrawal of consent to any

care treatment service or procedure to maintain diagnose or treat any physical or mental condition of the proposed conservatee, including without limitation, the withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining procedures in a terminal condition. I think that shows the premeditation, and I think that's why they took him down on Hollywood Boulevard in a UPS store to basically sign his life away. He was alone. They had no legal counsel. There was undue influence. He had stitches in his head.

He had been recuperating from surgery. He was on various medications and no glasses. You know, hearing you describe that, so what he was signing, I guess, Kathleen Murphy with me, family lawyer, is an executorship of sorts that they, the children, would make the decision as to whether he would remain on life support, Kathleen. That's correct, Nancy. The children's behaviors and actions as described by Ms. Kasem are concerning. Jean Kasem with me and Troy Slayton, I'm going to give you a chance to defend the children with whom you're friends. Jean, I'm just listening to what you're saying. And it was ultimately the children that decided to take him off life support. And you're saying that in your mind, premeditation for exactly that

began when they got him to sign over this document at a UPS store. Is that right? Well, Nancy, the document was signed on Veterans Day, and my husband was a vet, in 2007, and held in secrecy until it was actively concealed until 2013. And that's when they filed. And that document allowed them to make the life support decision. Is that right?

No, I don't really like the, the, the words life support because at that time he was very much alive and life support to me means that there's artificial machines um allowing one to live um and that was not the case ah you know what that is a very important distinction you're absolutely right um Let me ask you this. When you took him, a lot of controversy is swirling around your decision to pack him up and take him out of that care facility in Santa Monica. Can you explain your reasoning? Well, first of all, Nancy, let me tell you how that first corrupt attempt ended. It was denied for no good cause, and it was ultimately denied with prejudice and put to an end. Case closed on January 14, 2014. Hold on just a moment, Jane. Troy Slayton, defense lawyer, you're defending the children

today. The judge actually ruled against them? The judge, when Jean Kasem attempted to go into court to have artificial hydration and nutrition reinstated onto Casey Kasem, and she went in ex parte, that means on her own, into court and convinced the judge to order the hospital to reinstate those things. No, I'm sorry. I must interrupt. Ex parte does not mean on your own. I was represented with legal counsel. She was not. I hate to correct you, but I really want the facts to come out because there has been such a false narrative put out there about me and about my daughter, Liberty, and about Casey. So I really, I really feel strongly in having to stop you when you're going down the wrong track. I think what he meant was you're saying you went with your lawyers and your reps. He means the other side, the children weren't there there x party means just one side goes before the judge troy slate when you were giving the details you left out the little fact that the judge had previously ruled against

the children um you know to gene casem why do you think the children you're accusing the children of basically murdering their dad i want to find out why you think they children, you're accusing the children of basically murdering their dad. I want to find out why you think they would have, what their possible motivation was and why that day you felt you had to remove him from that care facility. You know, Nancy, after it was denied with prejudice for no good cause in case closed, four months later, they filed another fraudulent guardianship petition. And when you know that somebody is trying to kill your husband, you will do everything in the world to try to protect him. Casey and I knew and we spoke many times after the first attempted guardianship

of what their motives were. Back to that evening that he left the care facility, what was your thinking, Jean? Just to seek peace, just so I could care for him, just seeking peace, just so I could care for him peacefully without all the disruption, without the onslaught of the media, without being stalked, without being followed, without being harassed. You were married to Casey Kasem for, I know, 34 years, and you courted before that. When did you first realize the children, his children, did not like you? I don't know why.

I've always contributed to their lifestyle and their livelihood. What do you mean by that? You contributed to their lifestyle and their livelihood? Well, where do you think they got their money from? From their dad. Definitely from you and their dad. Me too. Now, it's my understanding that they worked. Is that right, Troy Slayton? Did the children have their own jobs?

That's absolutely true, Nancy. They are all independently successful. Julie, who is his, well, Carrie, who's his eldest daughter, has been in broadcasting, has been a model for over 20 years. Julie is a physician's assistant and her husband is a well-renowned cardiologist at UCLA. homicidal guardianship scam started in 2007 when Casey signed that power of attorney or that durable power of attorney for health care. But the court didn't rely on that 2007 power of attorney. It relied on the 2011 advanced health care directive that Gene had Casey sign when he wasn't competent to do so, according to his good friends. And in that 2011 health care directive that Gene had him sign, it said that if extension of his life would result in a mere biological existence and he wouldn't. It was essentially terminal that he didn't want any artificial life-sustaining procedures, including nutrition and hydration. That's from the durable power of attorney that Jean had him sign.

I want to go to Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst. Bethany, weigh in. I mean, this sounds like so much legal maneuvering, but when it boils down to it, when you hear Jean talking about her husband, I mean, I can tell she loved him. She loves him, yes. I think that Casey Kasem's body and health has become the battleground for a power struggle between the stepmother and the stepchildren. I think that's what's really happening.

I think all this health stuff and all this wrongful death lawsuit is a red herring, meaning it's an excuse. The fact is she was his wife for 34 years. He loved her. He chose her. That's what we have to remember. No matter what the children think, their father chose Jean to be his wife. And therefore, their agreements and their love and their relationships supersede what's happening with the children. The children have their own lives, their own spouses,

their own careers. And when one of the children said, we don't care about the money, I don't believe that because we all care about money. You care about money. I care about money. Yes, it is salt in the wound when a parent dies and leaves everything to one person and doesn't distribute amongst the children and the grandchildren. I've seen this in so many cases in my practice. His decision, not the children. Casey Kasem's family feud is ongoing. His wife with me right now, Jean Kasem, and his adult children file wrongful death suits against each other in a battle for his fortune.

To Gene Kasem, was his will honored? Where did the bulk of his estate go upon his death? Well, remember, Nancy, they kept saying that it wasn't about the money. But now they're fighting about all the money. So we're in court. You are saying that Casey's children, Carrie, Julie, and Michael were all after his money and that eventually your husband cut them off financially. Is that correct, Jean Kasem? That is correct. What led him to do that? Well, they say that they're all financially stable, but we were issuing checks up until the year 2012. I have hundreds and hundreds of checks

that total almost $3 million. Okay. You know, Troy Slayton, defense lawyer, friends with the children, you say they're all financially independent. Three million dollars? That that's not independent, Troy, if that's true. I don't know whether that's true or not, but I know that by 2011, his dear friend, who was 30 years in broadcasting, Les Martin, and also an attorney, spoke to Casey regularly on the phone, and by 2011, knew that Casey was no longer able to

recall common stories and adventures that they had had, and it's all going to come out in court. Well, this is what I don't understand, Troy. If it's not about the money, why are the children filing a wrongful death suit, which is for money? Because they believe that their stepmother hastened and caused the death of their father. They're seeking justice.

To Jean Kasem, this is Casey's widow. What was your reaction when you found out his children had filed a wrongful death suit against you? I was surprised because they were the ones that took him to the hospital for a supposed independent medical evaluation. It was a ruse, of course, and they then kept him for an unauthorized overnight observation and then they began to chemically restrain him and withdraw all of his hydration, nutrition and proactive medical care and on a Friday evening, 6 with all courts closed I received a call to come to the hospital where I was told along with our daughter Liberty that they had already begun the process and we didn't know what that meant we thought it was a new kind of treatment until they sat us down and

explained to us what was going to happen. We were allowed only five minutes each to see him. We went into the hospital room and Nancy, I don't know if you experienced this with your husband or not, but you could be across a crowded room and you could know by the look on your spouse's face if they're panicked or in trouble or what they're trying to say and that was that look that i got so i approached the bed and he grabbed on to liberty and i and the nurse had to pry his fingers off one by one. And of course, that's the moment where you say all the beautiful things that you're supposed to say

to somebody that you love. And then they said that we had to leave the hospital. And so I went to the door and I looked back at him and he looked so scared and so panicked that I rushed back in and I picked him up in my arm. And I told him that I had to go and I would be right outside the door. And then they escorted us out of the hospital. Down to, down to the lobby. And there was a chapel. Liberty and I begged to go into the chapel just so we could sit

and just ask for help from God for people to just come to their senses. And then they told us that we had to leave the chapel, and they escorted us out to the parking lot and told us that we had to get off the property that was the last time we ever saw him alive again i immediately got a private plane and flew down to los angeles so i could confront judge daniel murphy i wanted him to see me and i wanted to tell him that that was my husband of 34 years. And that when they picked him up for that so-called independent medical evaluation,

that that morning he was singing when he was being shamed. And he was singing to Liberty's music and he was happy. And that he did not want to go with her. He was fighting with the paramedics and he said, please, please, no, I don't want to go. I want to stay here with my wife and my daughter. My daughter went into an acute asthma attack and the paramedics had to come for her. And it was just a god awful scene to see Casey fight like that. And to say, please let me go and I don't want to go. And he said, no, no, no, I don't want to go.

They took him against his will for this so-called independent medical evaluation. And then they devised another ruse to keep him for an overnight observation. The doctor cleared him on June 1st. On June 2nd, we were called, his personal private physician donald sherman and i were called and we were told he was discharged we went to court and the judge said that he could return and they they never brought him back they gave him enough drugs to kill an elephant and he still fought because this man wanted to live. He never complained. He was never in any pain. His only regret is that he just had

so much left to do. Jean Kasem, thank you so much for sharing your story. And we wait as justice unfolds in a court of law. Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off. Goodbye, friends. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.