No charges to be filed against Casey Kasem's widow

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Friday, May 22, 2015
Jean Kasem (L), Casey Kasem (R)
Jean Kasem (L), Casey Kasem (R)
KABC-KABC

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has declined to press criminal charges against Casey Kasem's widow.

A charge evaluation sheet stated that there was insufficient evidence to file elder abuse charges against Jean Kasem.

She was married to the radio legend for more than 30 years but was stripped of control over his medical care in the final days of his life. His daughter, Kerri Kasem, was named his conservator in May 2014.

Casey Kasem died in June 2014 in Washington state, where his wife took him after removing him from a medical facility where he was receiving around-the-clock care.

The longtime "American Top 40" host had a form of dementia and severe bedsores when he died.

Six months after the death, his children from his first marriage presented the Los Angeles Police Department with evidence that allegedly proved he was abused by his wife.

Kerri Kasem said in a statement, "My family is very sad to learn the Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has decided not to file charges against Jean Kasem. We did everything we could to save my Dad at the end of his life, including getting an emergency court order for conservatorship. But we were too late. My father's second wife Jean had done everything she could to keep our father from us while not providing the quality care that he - and every other senior in our society - deserves."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.