'Pure Insanity': Casey Kasem's Body Missing From Funeral Home

The ongoing battle between the children of deceased American Top 40 radio host Casey Kasem and his widow and wife from a second marriage Jean Kasem, has reached a whole new level of “pure insanity” with allegations that the radio host’s body was missing from the funeral home in which it was being housed. 

A representative of Casey Kasem’s daughter Danny Deraney called the situation surrounding Casem’s missing body “pure insanity,” according to the Los Angeles Times. “It’s sad that it’s gotten to this point,” he said.

The Associated Press reported Kasem’s cadaver missing when a lawyer for Kerri Casem (Casey’s daughter) told them that he went to deliver a court-issued temporary restraining order to the funeral home in Tacoma, Washington, and was told that the body had been removed two days prior to his arrival. News broke on Thursday that Kasem’s body has yet to be buried over one month after his June 15 passing, notes the Times. 

Kasem died at the age of 82 after a battle with Lewy body dementia. Lewy body dementia is defined by the Mayo Clinic as “the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease” and that is “causes a progressive decline in mental abilities.”

“In Washington state, a surviving spouse trumps a majority of surviving children of the deceased when it comes to disposition of remains,” notes the Times. Kasem’s three children Kerri, Julie and Mike had reportedly held a memorial after his passing and accepted that Jean had authority over his body, indicating their lack of intent to fight over his burial in court. 

A restraining order was petitioned for by Kerri Casem who told Access Hollywood, “This is not about a fight to get his body back. I just want to know if Jean has buried him.” Kerri also learned that her step mother Jean Kasem had planned for an autopsy to be conducted on Casey’s body. 

Kerri cited concerns surrounding “the results of an autopsy commissioned by Jean Kasem and how they might be used,” notes the Times. Kerri indicated her preference to request that the Washington court allow her to have an autopsy conducted by a forensic pathologist of her “own selection.”

Kerri was contacted by the New York Daily News on Friday who informed her that they reportedly obtained death certificate which indicated Jean Kasem’s funeral arrangements which indicated her intent to have Casey’s remains sent to a Canadian funeral home, Urgel Bourgie Funeral Home, the Times notes. 

“My dad has nothing to do with Canada. He lived in Los Angeles for 45 years,” Kerri Kasem said to the Daily News. “It just once again proves that my stepmother is not acting in my father’s best interest or respecting his wishes.” Casey had reportedly wished to be buried at Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale, California.