Casey Kasem was in his 80s when he passed away in 2014. Those not in the know would assume that the legend, famous for his weekly “Top 40 Countdown” in the 1980s and 1990s, had died of old age. But a suit and a countersuit with an ongoing contentious battle indicates otherwise.

As Peter Van Sant reports for CBS’s 48 Hours, when Kasem was diagnosed with a Parkinson’s-like condition in his late 70s, a battle over his medical care, decision making, and ultimately, his estate, ensued.

Kasem’s second wife Jean Thompson Kasem (who doesn’t do herself any favors wearing the zaniest pair of eyeglass frames for half the episode, nor when she later throws meat in an exasperated demonstration) claims his three children were after their father’s money. Furthermore, she says that for that reason, Kasem cut them off.

For their part, the Kasem kids (currently adults) claim that their stepmother is evil, crazy, a pathological liar and that she wanted complete control of their father…and of course, his money. They say that by Jean alienating them from their dad and moving him from facility to facility, his health deteriorated quickly and he died sooner than he would have under proper care.

The problem is, they were also involved in moving their father – away from Jean. Both sides, his wife of 35 years and his 2 daughters and son from his first marriage staunchly contend that they loved Kasem, and wanted the best medical care for him. Both sides allege that the other is responsible for his death.

Listen to the following episode of the 48 Hours podcast for a lot more information on this story. Then feel free to share your thoughts, as well as who you side with, in the comments’ section.

(Photo Source: CBSNews.com)