According to the longtime radio disc jockey’s relatives, Casey Kasem was murdered. But in a new “48 Hours” interview, it’s clear that the suspect depends on which side of the fractured family is talking.
His children, Kerri, Julie and Michael, claim in the new interview that 82-year-old Kasem was killed by his second wife, Jeannie Kasem. His widow, in turn, blames Kasem’s children.
Van Sant previewed the interview set to air in full on CBS at 10 p.m. Saturday.
He said he has “never seen such hatred within a family,” noting that everyone involved seems confident in their portrayal of the end of Kasem’s life.
“Both sides tell credible, powerful stories, both proclaim their love for Casey and both blame the other and accuse the other of killing Casey,” he added.
According to Van Sant, both sides also “use the word ‘murder'” to describe the actions of the other side.
As the New York Post reported, Casem left behind an estate worth as much as $100 million when he died in 2014.
It was that money, Jeannie Kasem claims, that prompted the alleged actions of her late husband’s kids.
“It was always about the money,” she said, claiming they coerced their father to give them power of attorney and the responsibility of making medical choices on his behalf.
The “American Top 40” founder and longtime host’s children filed a wrongful death suit against Jeannie Kasem, arguing she was motivated by the same estate.
“Jean killed my father,” Kerri Kasem said in the interview. “The only thing she ever wanted from my dad is money.”
A countersuit, however, alleges the kids “told his doctors to unhook his nutrition, hydration and medicine and left him to die,” Van Sant said.
Other shockers set to be unveiled in the upcoming interview include news about a police investigation into Kasem’s death and information about his unmarked grave in Norway.
[Featured image: Casey Kasem, AP Photo/Eric Jamison, File]