Zoinks!
Legendary DJ Casey Kasem’s vicious family feud now includes allegations of murder and elder abuse — and is the focus of Saturday’s “48 Hours” (10 p.m. on CBS)
The ongoing battle pits Jeannie Kasem — Kasem’s second wife — against his three children (Kerri, Julie and Michael) from his first marriage. It’s all laid bare by correspondent Peter Van Sant in Saturday’s episode.
“I have never seen such hatred within a family,” says Van Sant. “Both sides tell credible, powerful stories, both proclaim their love for Casey and both blame the other and accuse the other of killing Casey — and both use the word ‘murder.’”
Kasem died in June 2014 (on Father’s Day) at the age of 82 from a Parkinson’s-like disease — leaving behind an estate valued between $80-$100 million that he amassed by founding (and voicing) the internationally broadcast “American Top 40” radio show and its various iterations. He also notably played scraggly teenager Shaggy Rogers on the Saturday-morning 1970s cartoon series “Scooby-Doo Where Are You!” (Shaggy was known for his catchphrase “Zoinks!”)
Jeannie claims Kasem’s three grown children conspired in 2007 to trick Casey into signing over power of attorney, giving them control over his medical decisions (which ultimately killed him).
“It was always about the money,” she tells Van Sant. They, in turn, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jeannie claiming elder abuse when she moved Casey from a rehab facility in Santa Monica, Calif., to a friend’s home in Washington state. “Jean killed my father,” Kerri Kasem tells Van Sant … “The only thing she ever wanted from my dad is money.”