The radio icon's remains have been removed from a Washington state funeral home by his second wife, much to the dismay of his children who weren't notified and have yet to see the body.
It’s been more than a month since Casey Kasem’s passing, but his family is still making headlines. According to a spokesperson for his daughter, Kerri Kasem, the radio icon’s body is missing.
Kasem died on June 15 after suffering from a form of dementia with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease. Jean Kasem, the radio personality’s second wife, had been entangled in a nasty conflict with his children— from a previous marriage— over her husband’s medical care before he died. As Kasem’s health deteriorated, a Los Angeles judge sided with the children as they chose end-of-life care at a Washington state hospital. She took his body within 72 hours of his passing.
In mid-May, Kerri, Julie and Mike Kasem had filed a missing persons report with Santa Monica police when they couldn’t locate their dad, sparking the first “Casey Kasem is missing” headlines and drawing even more attention to a long-running family dispute.
ABC News reports that the Kasem’s three adult children have yet to see his body. The spokesperson says his remains have been moved from a Washington state funeral home, against their wishes. The family also says an autopsy has not been performed, although a judge ordered one to investigate suspicions of elder abuse.
The three eldest Kasem children had filed an elder-abuse complaint with the Santa Monica Police Department around the time of Casey Kasem’s June 15 death. Any autopsy results might wind up a part of that investigation, believed to be ongoing.
According to the LA Times, A judge awarded daughter Kerri Kasem a temporary restraining order Wednesday preventing her dad’s second wife, Jean Kasem, from cremating or removing the remains from the funeral home pending a decision about who could conduct a possible autopsy.
A hearing on the autopsy petition is scheduled for July 25
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