SEATTLE and LOS ANGELES, July 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Jean Kasem, widow of legendary radio DJ and pop culture icon Casey Kasem, has filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington state, accusing three of her late husband's adult children from a prior relationship 40 years ago, of conspiring to seize control of Casey through a "homicidal guardianship scam." The suit alleges that the adult children – Kerri, Mike and Julie Kasem, along with Julie's husband and their attorney Troy Martin – chemically restrained Casey Kasem and then caused his death to go after Casey and Jean's financial assets.
Also named as a defendant is Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation's largest healthcare systems, which owns and operates the facility where Kasem died.
Casey Kasem was "pronounced" dead at 3:23 am, June 15, 2014, at St. Anthony Hospital in Gig Harbor, Washington. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, Seattle, seeks damages for, among other things, "the conscious pain, suffering, anxiety and fear of impending death experienced by Casey Kasem."
The complaint alleges that Casey Kasem was criminally separated from his legal family of 35 years against his will and subjected to a forced, isolated hospital entrapment. It asserts that Kasem's adult children, using a fraudulent Durable Power of Attorney, made a series of rapid, unilateral decisions to terminate his life, completely ignoring his wife's desperate pleas and without any authorization by Washington State Judge Jennifer Irvine Forbes.
According to the complaint, Jean Kasem's husband was forcibly taken by his 44-year-old daughter Kerri to St. Anthony on June 1, 2014 for an "independent medical evaluation." St. Anthony hospital's examining physician, attended by Casey's personal physician, Dr. Donald Sharman, cleared Casey to be returned to the care he was receiving at home. St. Anthony Hospital's examining physician stated in his written medical report, "His {Casey Kasem's} current care plan and management in his current home has been appropriate today. Dr. Sharman's recommendations and availability have been excellent and timely."
The evaluation concluded at around 6:00 pm on June 1, but Casey was not returned home to his wife as intended. Instead, the complaint alleges that Kerri Kasem's attorney contacted St. Anthony Hospital's examining physician and fabricated an excuse for an "overnight observation," which was not authorized by Judge Forbes. As a result, Casey was held against his will at St. Anthony Hospital.
On June 2, 2014, Judge Forbes read St. Anthony Hospital's examining physician's report and found "no compelling argument from the doctor in the report that he {Casey} needed to stay in the hospital." She then authorized that Casey be immediately returned home to his wife.
Concurrently, Dr. Sharman and Jean Kasem called St. Anthony and were informed by the attending physician that, "Casey Kasem's medical evaluation had concluded and his overnight observation went well, he is discharged and you can come pick him up."
That afternoon when Jean, Dr. Sharman, Casey's private nurse and one of Jean's attorneys arrived at St. Anthony Hospital with medical transport to pick Casey up and bring him back home, they were stalled for hours by hospital staff.
According to the complaint, St. Anthony Hospital's attending physician, who previously told Dr. Sharman and Jean Kasem that "Casey was discharged," reversed himself, saying Casey would not be discharged. He also could not explain to Dr. Sharman and Jean why Casey needed to remain in the hospital. Kerri Kasem's attorney then screamed, "Casey is not leaving the hospital period!" From that day forward, Dr. Sharman, along with Casey's private nurse, Jean, her attorneys and Liberty Kasem were all banned from St. Anthony.
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Jean Kasem, Widow of Radio/Television Icon Casey Kasem, Files Lawsuit Against Kasem's Adult Children and Others for Wrongful Death, Negligence and Fraud
There is always another side to every story.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute, I thought the children had sued their step mother. How did that turn out?
ReplyDeleteI can see Jean doing this to fight for justice for Casey, even though he is gone. Starvation and dehydration is a very painful death and if it happened to my husband, I wouldn't let that go either. Casey earned the right to die naturally.
ReplyDeleteI hope he was drugged up and didn't realize what was being done to him.
I agree it's time Jean is heard. I don't know how all this mess will turn out, but the children's side was heard four years ago and we didn't hear much from Jean then and I always kind felt like she didn't get equal time. There are usually more than two sides to everything and it may turn out that everyone involved did the best he/she could at the time.
ReplyDeleteDr. Michael Hunter, the renound forensics pathologist has identified that Jean Kasem neglected to give proper medical care to Casey. His opinion is that due to her negligence, Casey was already in septic shock before his children rescued him from her diabolical clutches. Jean Casem should not have ever been allowed to do the horrible things she did and should pay dearly for hastening her husband’s death. No equal time is needed for her to spread her lies. She is a money hungry monster back by medical records and review.
ReplyDeleteThe forensics "expert" you site never at any time had access to or examined Mr.Kasem. Not while he was living and not after he passed. He was hired to do and say what he said and did. The head doctor at the hospital wrote a hand written letter stating that Mr. Kasem was receiving excellent care and should be allowed to return home...that the hospital had no medical reason to continue to keep him. He was forcibly put into hospice...and not by his wife. The money hungry monster you speak of is not Jean Kasem.
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