Jean Kasem, Widow of Radio/Television Icon Casey Kasem, Files Lawsuit Against Kasem's Adult Children and Others for Wrongful Death, Negligence and Fraud

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.    

Less than a week after "seizing control of Casey" and having shockingly informed Jean and Liberty that they had "already begun the process" of withdrawing and withholding all of Casey's hydration, nutrition and proactive medical care, his adult children and hospital personnel would only permit Jean and Liberty five minutes with Casey to say goodbye, while forcing his life to end. A hospital nurse had to pry Casey's fingers off of his wife's arm as he would not let go of her. Jean and Liberty were escorted out of Casey's room and then asked to leave the hospital chapel, where they had gone to pray. 

Jean and Liberty never saw Casey alive again.  

"The truth about my husband's homicide is so disturbing to confront but I am compelled to seek justice," Jean Kasem said. "After an exhaustive forensic investigation following Casey's death and autopsy, there was no other choice but to bring this lawsuit. The facts unambiguously point to defendants' deceit, self-dealing and fraud, which demand to be exposed. I have taken this action for my daughter Liberty and for my husband of 35 years, as I'm certain Casey would have done the same for me. I pray the justice we seek is quick and thoroughly delivered, not only for us, but for all of the vulnerable and elderly who are subjected to the same predatory and abusive conduct by those who are anxious for them to die for illicit and immediate financial gain".

Alleged pattern of extreme harassment and false claims by defendants

The lawsuit accuses the defendants of engaging in a racketeering scheme and wire fraud as part of their guardianship scam, using a pattern of extreme harassment by falsely and repeatedly summoning the Los Angeles Police Department and Adult Protective Services to call on Jean and Casey's Los Angeles house, purportedly to uncover "abuse," which was never found. Jean Kasem asserts it was an orchestrated ruse designed to take control of Casey's person and go after their joint assets.

The complaint states, "Agency after agency in both California and Washington State, investigated the numerous false reports made by the defendants and never found any evidence of the defendants' fraudulent allegations. It was clear that the defendants were misusing these public services as a form of extreme harassment, media exploitation and prejudicial publicity against Plaintiff {Jean Kasem} and her family, for their Homicidal Guardianship scheme of Casey Kasem."

The same scam had been attempted by defendants in California four months earlier, which was "denied for no good cause" and subsequently "denied with prejudice" on January 14, 2014 by Judge Lesley Green. It was attempted again in the month preceding Casey's death, while he was living in Washington, this time misusing Washington State's Adult Protective Services and the state's Sheriff's Department.  Once again, no evidence was found to substantiate the defendants' allegations.

A year earlier in 2013, Casey's adult children attempted to seize control of him through using a fraudulent Durable Power of Attorney document, allegedly signed in a UPS store on Hollywood Blvd. on November 11, 2007, while Casey was under duress and undue influence, recovering from surgery and without any legal representation, the complaint asserts.  

The complaint alleges that Kerri, Mike and Julie Kasem, along with Julie's husband, Jamil Anis Aboulhosn, then actively kept their 2007 DPA in secrecy for six years before surfacing and filing a fraudulent petition for guardianship of Casey. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lesley Green, found "no good cause" to grant them a guardianship, as Casey was found to be receiving "excellent care" from his wife. 

According to the complaint, one month prior to Casey's death, defendants increased their harassment of Jean and Casey's family, by falsely reporting him as a missing person, launching a nationwide manhunt and media frenzy, when Casey was in fact, safely and peacefully at home, with his wife and daughter Liberty, in Washington State.

On June 1, 2014, defendants had forcibly removed Casey against his will and out of county to a distant hospital – instead of a medical facility a block away from where he was living – for a "supposed evaluation" that could have been accommodated by a doctor making a house call, the complaint alleges.
 
The complaint states this was another ruse, to rip Casey away from his wife and daughter, leaving them both traumatized. 

The lawsuit asserts that St. Anthony chose to execute defendants' illegal, unilateral decision by swiftly starving Casey to death for immediate financial gain. This action directly contravened Catholic Health Initiative's protocol stating that, "A Catholic health care institution will not honor an Advance Directive or DPA that is contrary to Catholic teaching and may never condone or participate in any way, which does not meet with their Bishops' ethical and moral standards."    

According to the complaint, a letter from Washington State Attorney General Robert Ferguson on June 4, 2014, indicated that the state's Adult Protective Services concluded that Jean Kasem was providing "impressive care" for her husband Casey and closing its investigation – 10 days later, Casey was dead. 

"The homicidal guardianship scam perpetrated by the defendants is an inter-state federal crime and under federal jurisdiction," Jean said. "His truth is marching on."  

Background on Casey and Jean Kasem

Casey Kasem was the golden-voiced DJ whose narration powered the radio countdown show "American Top 40" for decades, attracting millions of fans around the world.

In fact, Casey set the standard for all countdown shows with his legendary weekly program, regaling listeners with personal stories behind "long-distance dedications," as well as trivia about songs and artists, and memorably signing off each week with his famous, "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars." Three years after his death, Casey's trademark voice is still heard around the world through syndicated radio broadcasts of his programs.

Jean & Casey were married in 1980, they had a daughter and named her Liberty. They did everything together. For 35 years, they would open and read countless letters that were mailed in from around the world for the long distance dedications. 

An Army veteran, Casey was selected to be the "Voice of America" and "Armed Forces Radio," a talented voice-over actor, with over 2,000 cartoons, which helped lay the foundation for his broadcasting career – perhaps most enduringly known as the good-hearted Shaggy on the Scooby Doo mysteries cartoon series for nearly 50 years. 

A beloved American treasure, Casey Kasem is one of the best-known radio and TV host of the twentieth century and became the youngest member ever inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters' Radio Hall of Fame.   

Jean Kasem played the effervescent character of Loretta Tortelli on the smash NBC TV series "Cheers." In its record-breaking 11 years on network television, Jean also starred in its spin-off "The Tortellis," hailed by many critics as ahead of its time. Jean made numerous other appearances, co-starring on classics such as "Ghostbusters," episodic television shows; she also has done substantial voice-over work in her acting career. She also holds a dozen U.S. patents related to the design and construction of baby cribs.
 
Casey Kasem has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Billboard magazine honored him with its first-ever life time achievement award. Billboard presented both his countdown shows with Network/Syndicated Programs of the Year Awards, an honor he's received many times. Casey was honored with the first Radio Icon Award in 2003.

Besides their work on TV and radio, they also were concerned social and political activists fighting for humanitarian causes. Their interests ranged from vegetarianism and anti-smoking campaigns to anti-nuclear peace marches and aid for the homeless – not to mention fighting stereotyping in the media. Since 1981, they co-hosted with Jerry Lewis on the annual Muscular Dystrophy Association Labor Day Telethon.    

Casey and Jean both had the belief that they could do more. Their message to each individual is that every person can make a difference – then get involved. They set the example themselves. 

Contact: Matt Baum, [email protected]

SOURCE Jean Kasem