Radio icon Casey Kasem, best known as the host of America’s Top 40 Countdown, died at age 82 in 2014 from Lewey Body Dementia. His illness and passing were highly publicized due to the bizarre and controversial family drama surrounding his death.
Casey Kasem is also remembered as voicing the voice of Shaggy Rogers in the famous Scooby Doo cartoon series. The family is now engaged in another family legal fight just days after the 10th anniversary of her famous father’s death.
Kerri is resolute in her quest for closure for her family. They are determined to have Casey’s body exhumed from his Norway grave and brought to the United States as reported by InTouch. Their struggle is a testament to their love and respect for Casey.
“We would like to bring my father’s body back home,” Kerri recently told The National Enquirer in an exclusive interview. “This is his home. This is where he belongs.”
The emotional toll of the family’s struggle is evident, as there was much chaos and drama between Kasem’s children and his second wife, Jean Kasem. The family’s desire to honor Casey’s final wishes is a testament to their love and respect for him.
Casey Kasem’s Wife Kept Children From Father During Illness & Death
Jean reportedly banned Casey’s children from seeing their father from the time he was diagnosed until his death. As Casey’s condition became worse, he was left unable to speak during his final months. He was placed in a nursing home.
His second wife also later secretly removed the radio legend from the facility. In June, a judge granted separate visitations to Jean and Casey’s children. It was soon discovered that Kasem’s body was no longer responding. So, the family placed him on “end-of-life” care measures over the objections of Jean Kasem. A few days later, Kasem died at St. Anthony’s Hospital, and his body was handed over to his wife, Jean.
Kerri and her siblings petitioned to take charge of their father’s final wishes, which includes being buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. However, Jean fought the petition in court, arguing that Casey’s burial should be per his second wife’s wishes. As a result, Casey’s burial was placed on hold. Sadly, his body was kept at a Washington funeral home, prolonging the family’s legal battle over his final resting place.
Casey Kasem’s last wish was to be laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. On July 19, 2014, a judge granted Kerri Kasem a temporary restraining order to prevent Jean Kasem from cremating the body. Kerri Kasem went to give a copy of the order to the funeral home. However, she was informed that the body had been moved. Jean is against the family’s wishes. She had him laid to rest six months after his death at the Oslo Western Civil Cemetary.
Ten years later, Kerri Kasem is back in court, demonstrating the family’s unwavering determination. Their hope is to convince the courts to allow her father, Casey Kasem’s body, to be exhumed and moved to the United States. The Kasem family remains steadfast in their desire to honor their late father’s final wishes.
