Report: Casey Kasem Body Missing Despite Restraining Order
From All Access:
Despite a PIERCE COUNTY, WASHINGTON judge granting KERRI KASEM a temporary restraining order to prevent JEAN KASEM from cremating or removing CASEY KASEM's body from a funeral home pending a new autopsy, TMZ.COM now reports that the iconic DJ's remains are missing. The KASEM family alleges that the widow took the body, possibly out of the country, to prevent an autopsy that could implicate her in KASEM's death.
The SANTA MONICA PD is looking into elder abuse allegations after JEAN KASEM took CASEY from a SANTA MONICA nursing home to go on a week-long multi-state car ride that likely caused him to develop bed sores that got infected and possibly contributed to his demise.
The N.Y. DAILY NEWS reports that KASEM’s death certificate stated that JEAN planned to lay the “American Top 40” star to rest at the URGEL BOURGIE cemetery in MONTREAL, CANADA, by mid-JULY. JEAN KASEM's spokesperson has not responded to the allegations.
Where In The World Is Casey Kasem's Body? Conflicting Reports That He's Now In Montreal
From All Access:
Even more mystery and intrigued shrouds the location of the body of beloved radio icon CASEY KASEM, which ALL ACCESS first reported as missing on last FRIDAY.
According to a report in the OTTAWA CITIZEN, "COREY GAFFNEY, the president of GAFFNEY FUNERAL HOME of TACOMA, says he confirmed the remains arrived in MONTREAL and media reports suggesting they have disappeared are not true. A death certificate filed in a WASHINGTON STATE court JULY 15th listed MONTREAL funeral home URGEL BOURGIE as the place of disposition, and JULY 14th as the date of disposition."
However, according to that same report, "The MONTREAL funeral home told THE CANADIAN PRESS on SATURDAY it had no record of KASEM's remains as being at the facility or that they were supposed to arrive." A report on PEOPLE.COM also indicates that URGEL BOURGIE has no record of KASEM's body being in their possession.
The NEW YORK DAILY NEWS reports that "KERRI asked for her temporary restraining order this (past) week because she now is seeking her own follow-up autopsy amid dueling accusations of elder abuse." That TRO was issued after (CASEY's wife) JEAN KASEM, reportedly sent CASEY's body to CANADA.
“KERRI KASEM has a well-grounded fear that her right to petition for authorization to conduct an autopsy on the remains of her father, CASEY KASEM, could be adversely affected if JEAN KASEM were to remove MR. KASEM's remains from WASHINGTON STATE, or if JEAN KASEM were to cremate Mr. KASEM's remains," according to the TRO signed by PIERCE COUNTY Superior Court Judge RONALD CULPEPPER.
The WASHINGTON judge overseeing KERRI's autopsy petition has set a hearing for JULY 25th.
According to new reports from CNN, Casey Kasem's body was flown from the Gaffney Funeral Home in Tacoma, Washington, to Canada a month after he died. The move took place before Kasem's daughter, Kerri Kasem, could enforce a court order against it being removed. Kasem's wife, Jean Kasem, said she has been "blackmailed" by her husband's children for 35 years telling the news station, "This is a shakedown and I will not negotiate with terrorists. I will not give in to their blackmail and attacks."
Meanwhile, Kerri Kasem has accused her stepmother of abusing her elderly father and contributing to his death by taking him from a Santa Monica, California, care facility in May and relocating him to Washington. Santa Monica Police are continuing "an open and ongoing investigation" into the elder abuse allegation according to police Sgt. Rudy Camarena.
Corey Gaffney, of the Gaffney Funeral Home, said Kasem's body was kept in his funeral home until he was instructed by Jean Kasem to send it to Montreal last week. He added, "I took Casey to the airport myself, oversaw every detail myself from the moment we brought him into care."
Kerri Kasem has now become an advocate pushing for a new law in California to give adult children visitation rights with their aging or incapacitated parents. In a Facebook posting she said, "There are so many people dealing with the same situation my family is dealing with, and we are receiving so many letters and e-mails."
Allegation Answers Why Casey Kasem's Body Is Somewhere In Montreal
From All Access:
The macabre tale of CASEY KASEM's remains took an even more sordid twist today, as the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS quotes a private detective alleging that the reason JEAN KASEM flew the body to MONTREAL, listing the funeral home URGEL BOURGIE as the place of disposition -- even though the funeral home denies receiving the body -- is that MONTREAL is the home town of JOHN PAUL GRESSY, a Canadian businessman rumored to be romantically involved with the widow.
The private investigator, LOGAN CLARKE, asserts that GRESSY has been living in JEAN KASEM's MALIBU condo for months, and that “Neighbors have seen them holding hands and acting close,” CLARKE told the paper. “I welcome her to sue me if I'm wrong.”
Meanwhile, KERRI KASEM posted a message on TWITLONGER about the situation: "Let me clear a few things up," she wrote. "First of all, my Dad is not "missing," JEAN KASEM knows exactly where he is and she is HIDING him from his friends and family ... we will find out where my Dad is buried when the law that I am working on passes. There is a provision in the "Visitation Law" AB2034 that states the conservator/guardian must notify the immediate family when the ailing parent is in the hospital, upon death and where they are buried. JEAN KASEM will be court ordered to tell us where our Dad is.
"If my father is buried in MONTREAL, CANADA a place my Dad has NO connection to, it just further proves that even in death as in life, JEAN has tried to keep us away from our father. No matter what she does now * DAD IS ALWAYS WITH US."
Casey Kasem Yet To Be Buried, Family Claims Jean Kasem Wants To Move Remains To Europe
From All Access:
In an ongoing sad story, CASEY KASEM -- who passed away on JUNE 15th -- has yet to be buried. Now a publicist for daughter KERRI KASEM says the family doesn't know where his body is.
CNN reports CASEY KASEM's body was flown to CANADA a month after he died. A funeral home director told CNN, "KASEM's corpse was taken from a WASHINGTON state funeral home last week before the radio icon's daughter could enforce a court order against it being removed."
Now, "a publicist for CASEY KASEM's daughter says the late radio personality's children are working with law enforcement following a report that KASEM's wife is making arrangements to have his body flown to EUROPE," reports CBS NEWS. DANNY DERANEY, the publicist for KERRI KASEM, told THE ASSOCIATED PRESS that KASEM's children are working with authorities on their next steps.
TMZ reports that JEAN KASEM is trying to have KASEM's body flown to EUROPE, perhaps OSLO, NORWAY, from CANADA. TERUYUKI OLSEN, a lawyer for JEAN KASEM, had no comment to TMZ.
It looks like the body of CASEY KASEM -- who died JUNE 15th in GIG HARBOR, WA -- will finally find a resting place. The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and Norwegian newspaper VG report that his remains have been sent to OSLO, where he will either be buried in one of its 20 cemeteries for one crematorium.
Norwegian government official WENCHE MADSEN ERIKSSON told reporter MARCUS HUSBY, "It is arranged. He's going to OSLO," where it would cost $2,437 to bury KASEM. As to exactly where he will be buried ... "We don't know what [wife JEAN KASEM's] plans are," daughter KERRI KASEM spokesperson DANNY DERANEY said. "We just know that she wants to keep CASEY away from [his] family and friends and by the looks of it, hiding from law enforcement."
"There is no connection my dad has with NORWAY," KERRI KASEM's brother, MIKE KASEM said. "I don't know if JEAN has any ties to OSLO. She certainly has never mentioned it in the last 35 years. Check the exhumation laws there; sounds like a possibility that is the reason she will bury him there. My dad deserves to be buried where he specifically asked to be buried: FOREST LAWN. Everyone keeps asking for motives as to why JEAN acts how she acts. I don't have an answer."
KERRI KASEM-hired private investigator LOGAN CLARKE believes the move won't hinder the SANT MONICA POLICE's probe into allegations of abuse by JEAN KASEM. I don't think we need to exhume the body, we have so much evidence -- video, photos, witnesses -- and the police have collected so much evidence," CLARKE said. "If this is not elder abuse, there is no such thing. And if the police drop this case, I'll take it on the 6:00 news."
The daughter of the late CASEY KASEM, KERRI, is using the four-month anniversary of her father's passing to remind her followers that the radio icon has yet to be buried.
On both her TWITTER account and FACEBOOK page, she posted, "UPDATE: Our Dad is still not buried. And on another note ... people who criticize and blame others are usually the ones who are committing the crimes themselves. When we were fighting to see our Dad, JEAN KASEM accused us kids of going after the money, which we NEVER did. JEAN KASEM is NOW going after our family trust. If you think your irrevocable trusts you set up for your loved ones are safe with @MetLife ... think again!"
Last month, KERRI KASEM notified her TWITTER followers that a funeral home in NORWAY had refused to bury the remains of CASEY KASEM.
CASEY KASEM has yet to be laid to rest, and TMZ is reporting his "body is decomposing in a Scandinavian mortuary ... and his kids have gone to court before there's no body left to bury. KERRI KASEM filed legal docs -- obtained by TMZ -- asking a judge to force JEAN KASEM to bring CASEY's remains back to the U.S. CASEY died in JUNE, and his body has been rotting away in NORWAY since AUGUST."
KERRI KASEM posted on her FACEBOOK page, "I am my father's daughter. He fought for what was right and just no matter what or who his adversary was. Now, it's my turn. Today, my family and I are asking a judge to allow us to bury our Dad at FOREST LAWN. SANTA MONICA Police Department had an Elder Abuse unit that worked diligently on our case. They asked for my father's body to be returned to LA for an autopsy. Unfortunately, the case was turned over to LAPD because of 'jurisdiction' issues and LAPD dropped the ball on bringing my Dad's body back to the states. They do not have an Elder Abuse department. (This does not mean they are dropping the case). My family and I need all the help we can get. PLEASE pray, send good thoughts and share this! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE LOVE. I know how much my father meant to you. I will keep you updated."
LA Judge Rules In Favor Of Jean Kasem Opening Door For Burial Of Casey Kasem In Norway
From All Access:
Will the late CASEY KASEM finally be laid to rest? Possibly, reports NBC NEWS, which reports, "five months after radio legend CASEY KASEM died, a LOS ANGELES judge has denied a request from his oldest children that their father’s remains be returned from NORWAY so they can bury him in a HOLLYWOOD cemetery."
The judge ruled YESTERDAY (11/20), that KASEM’s widow, JEAN, has authority over the remains.
Earlier this month (NET NEWS 11/10), ALL ACCESS reported KERRI KASEM, the daughter of the late radio icon, had gone to court to try to bring her fathers remains home to the U.S. NBC notes, "The children have also requested that NORWAY deny JEAN’s request to bury the disc jockey’s body in OSLO. Government officials told NBC News that they have decided to defer the decision until the SANTA MONICA POLICE investigation of JEAN KASEM on elder abuse allegations is completed. Those allegations stem from JEAN KASEM’s removal of her husband from a healthcare facility in MAY."
Casey Kasem’s Oldest Children Add Half-Sister As Part Of Wrongful Death Lawsuit
From All Access:
CASEY KASEM may have died in JUNE 2014, but the legal battle involving his death certainly lives on.
CBS/LOS ANGELES reports, "CASEY KASEM’s oldest children have added his youngest child — their half-sister — to a wrongful death lawsuit they filed last year against his widow, JEAN (NET NEWS 11/30/15). LIBERTY KASEM, 25, is the only child born to CASEY and JEAN KASEM. JEAN was married to the longtime 'American Top 40' radio host and voice over artist from 1980 until his June 2014 death at age 82 from a form of dementia and a severe bedsore."
The lawsuit has been amended in LOS ANGELES Superior Court, alleging that, "JEAN and LIBERTY KASEM are liable for wrongful death, elder abuse and negligent infliction of emotional distress. CASEY’s brother, MOUNER, is also aligned with his brother’s oldest children in the suit."
CBS/LOS ANGELES also notes, "the complaint further alleges JEAN KASEM committed intentional infliction of emotional distress by isolating her husband’s older children from their father before his death and that she breached a settlement agreement she had with one of his other daughters, JULIE KASEM, by making it hard for her to visit with her father during most of the last six months of his life."
“Plaintiffs seek justice in this action through the only available means -- for the grossly harmful mistreatment and isolation of their father and brother and for the hastening of his death,” the amended complaint alleges.
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