http://tv.yahoo.com/news/months-after-death--sherman-hemsley-not-buried.html

Sherman Hemsley died on July 24 from lung cancer, but the late television star has still not been buried due to a legal battle over his estate and his final resting place.

Hemsley, best known for his 11 seasons on the CBS sitcom "The Jeffersons," left behind an estate of approximately $50,000. He was not married and had no children. According to Fox News, Hemsley left his estate to Flora Enchinton Bernal, his "self-proclaimed business partner and live-in best friend." There is a will attesting to this. However, a man named Richard Thornton came forward after Hemsley's death, claiming to be his brother. Thornton filed a civil lawsuit calling into question the will.

[Related: TV Stars We've Lost in 2012]

A trial was supposedly set for September, but that got delayed until October in order for Thornton to get a DNA test. In addition, a woman and her son, the Rev. Michael George Wells, are insisting that the woman was a relative to Hemsley. "We are family, and we are not looking for money. But if we are entitled to something, we don’t want anyone else to have it,” Wells told the El Paso Times.

The money is one thing; the burial is something else. Even there, folks don't seem able to agree. Bernal has told authorities that Hemsley wanted to be buried in El Paso, Texas, where he'd lived for several decades. Others believe Hemsley should be buried in Pennsylvania, near his family.

A reporter from KTSM spoke to Bernal's attorney about the process. "It's been very difficult," Neill said. "I think she feels very responsible for Mr. Hemsley. She feels a deep desire to give him his final resting place and give him the dignity that comes with that. Obviously we've been delayed in order to get that resolution here, so I think it's been a combination of very frustrating and just... very emotional and difficult for her."

The judge is expected to make a final ruling on October 31.

$50k or $50 million?

This is very sad, This reminds me of my childhood idol Gary Colemans death. Seems like all this should have been taken care of before. Its sad that these two icons died broke. It really saddens me.



Graycap23 said:

$50k or $50 million?

I'm sure you're joking, but after Lawyer's fees, etc. what will be left of the 50K? Just bury the poor man already...

runphilrun said:

Graycap23 said:

$50k or $50 million?

I'm sure you're joking, but after Lawyer's fees, etc. what will be left of the 50K? Just bury the poor man already...

See. With them bickering about who gets what, the lawyers will end up with ALL OF IT. Stupid, greedy people deserve to get nothing, except for the person legally named in his will. If a valid will was left, damn the relataives. Had he had contact with any of them? Lawdamercy, mofoes will come out the woodwork for a fuggin nickle! Males me sick.

Shyra said:

runphilrun said:

I'm sure you're joking, but after Lawyer's fees, etc. what will be left of the 50K? Just bury the poor man already...

See. With them bickering about who gets what, the lawyers will end up with ALL OF IT. Stupid, greedy people deserve to get nothing, except for the person legally named in his will. If a valid will was left, damn the relataives. Had he had contact with any of them? Lawdamercy, mofoes will come out the woodwork for a fuggin nickle! Males me sick.

$50k isn't worth the time of day.

Graycap23 said:

Shyra said:

See. With them bickering about who gets what, the lawyers will end up with ALL OF IT. Stupid, greedy people deserve to get nothing, except for the person legally named in his will. If a valid will was left, damn the relataives. Had he had contact with any of them? Lawdamercy, mofoes will come out the woodwork for a fuggin nickle! Males me sick.

$50k isn't worth the time of day.

To those fools, it's a fortune. They're probably too stupid to realize that after the lawyers' fees, they'll be lucky to get $50.

Shyra said:

Graycap23 said:

$50k isn't worth the time of day.

To those fools, it's a fortune. They're probably too stupid to realize that after the lawyers' fees, they'll be lucky to get $50.

It is foolish

It is amazing what money does to folks when someone dies. And they fight over anything. Bunch of greedy vultures

I haven't been buried yet either.
But then again,
I'm not dead.
Nor am I famous.

Unless he was immediately cremated after death, and it's just a matter of where they want to bury his ashes, that $50k is already GONE. Because if he wasn't cremated, then his remains are being kept cool somewhere for these past 3 months prior to a proper burial, and I'm sure that place doesn't come rent-free. Whoever "wins" Sherman's estate will probably end up OWING money - and that's what they will deserve for fighting over this poor man's couple of dollars.

The late Sherman's body is being kept in a refrigerator. Plus its never been removed from the house he was living in in El paso Texas

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

The late Sherman's body is being kept in a refrigerator. Plus its never been removed from the house he was living in in El paso Texas

I didn't even know that was legal. To be clear, are you saying a special refrigerator was obtained to store his body within the home, as opposed to storing his body in a morgue/mortuary?

.

[Edited 10/31/12 10:02am]

By the way I take Sherman's death personal. Because my use to be best friend who is no longer on this earth family use to be very close to Sherman..

Trifling scavengers. Put that man in the ground already and leave.him.be.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

The late Sherman's body is being kept in a refrigerator. Plus its never been removed from the house he was living in in El paso Texas

I find this hard to fathom. What type of home refrigerator would hold a man's body? Plus, I dont' think it would be legal to store a dead body in a private home, but if you say so...



Sherman Hemsley still not buried 3 months after death; bizarre legal dispute continues

Sherman Hemsley died at his home in El Paso, Texas on July 24. But three months on, the star of the CBS series “The Jeffersons” has yet to be laid to rest as the beneficiaries of his will, and even his cause of death, have been called into question.

A worker at the Eastside location of the San Jose Funeral Home in El Paso, Texas confirmed to FOX411’s Pop Tarts column that Hemsley was still at the home, and that they were waiting for a court order telling them what to do with his body.

It was revealed in August that Hemsley’s body had not been buried amid a legal dispute between his former manager and self-proclaimed business partner and live-in best friend Flora Enchinton – who was named as the sole beneficiary in his will – and a Philadelphia man, Richard Thornton, who claims to be the actor’s brother. Thornton filed a civil lawsuit disputing the validity of the will, signed by Hemsley one month prior to his death.

Hemsley had said in media interviews that he was an only child. His estate is reportedly valued at $50,000.

On September 24, Probate Court judge Patricia Chew delayed the trial over the actor’s estate and remains -- which had been scheduled for the following Monday -- to October 31, and ordered the man who claims to be Hemsley’s brother to undergo a DNA test. Thornton’s nephew Robert Thornton took the stand in support of his Uncle’s allegation, and also questioned the authenticity of the signature on the will, which left everything to Enchinton, saying it “looked like tracing.”

But this is not where the bizarreness ends. A third person has since come forward amid the battle over Hemsley’s estate, vowing to intervene on the issue prior to the October 31st bench trial date.

“There is only one person in the world who I believe Sherman would call a sister, and that is my mother,” Reverend Michael George Wells, a minister at Arch Street United Methodist Church – who claims to be a cousin on Hemsley’s mother’s side – told the El Paso Times, adding that he believes Enchinton was not close to Sherman and that the Thorntons were not related to the late actor. “We are family, and we are not looking for money. But if we are entitled to something, we don’t want anyone else to have it,” he told The Times.

Wells told FOX411 that while he would still like to intervene before October 31, he has been told he needs a lawyer. Wells says he doesn’t have the $10,000 he says he would need to join the legal fray. “What the media needs to know is that Sherman Hemsley’s body being in the refrigerator for this amount of time is unnecessary and uncalled for. He could have been buried with his family within a week or ten days of his passing,” Wells said, adding that his access to Hemsley both before and after he died was “blocked” by those immediately surrounding him at the time.

“His will and the probate were found seven days after he died. No one reached out to me, my mother, my family or any (person with a) relationship to Sherman. In the beginning they said he died of natural causes. Then it came out he had cancer,” Wells alleged. “There needs to be an investigation. We have no knowledge of the doctors, hospitals, no one talked to us about his cancer. Everything we found out was from the news… Flora knows my family, this is what perplexes me. I called there on June 1, and why did she not tell me Sherman was dying of cancer?”

Wells is also not convinced that the actor’s estate is worth just $50,000 and said he believes his value is “beyond” the reported amount. Reports at the time of his death indicated that no foul play was suspected and no autopsy was planned, although Wells insisted that if he had the financial means he would have one performed “just to get the truth.”

A postmortem report obtained by TMZ listed the primary cause of death is listed as "superior vena cava syndrome" -- a complication resulting from a mass on Sherman's lung, and noted that the star had been advised to undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy before he succumbed to the illness.

When reached by phone, Enchinton also said that she could not comment on the case given its pending legal status, although last month she told the El Paso Times that she “just wants what Sherman would want” and that she has “high respect for the court system in El Paso.”

Attorneys for Enchinton and Thornton did not respond to a request for comment, and Thornton declined to comment.

Civil litigator Anahita Sedaghatfar said she is not surprised that something like this, particularly with an association to Hollywood, could happen.

“It is very sad that after decades in show business, a stellar career by all accounts, this debacle may very well be Sherman's legacy. Only after his death, this man pops up, claiming to be Sherman's half brother, and for what? A claim to a $50,000 estate,” she said. “If he is, then he will have the legal right to challenge the validity of Sherman's will and possibly inherit some or all of the estate. However, it looks like it will be an uphill battle because even if he is proven to be related to Sherman, he will still need to provide a legal basis to challenge the will (which leaves everything to Sherman's former manager) such as duress, lack of capacity or fraud.”

Things could turn even uglier should it be determined that Thornton is not Hemsley’s brother.

“If it turns out that this man is not related to Sherman and was perpetrating a fraud upon the court, which won't be shocking, then he will be held legally accountable for his actions and Flora Enchinton may have legal claims against him,” Sedaghatfar added.

A rep for Hemsley was not available for further comment.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:



A worker at the Eastside location of the San Jose Funeral Home in El Paso, Texas confirmed to FOX411’s Pop Tarts column that Hemsley was still at the home, and that they were waiting for a court order telling them what to do with his body.

I could be wrong, but I think you misunderstood the report.

I interpret it as saying 'a worker at THE FUNERAL HOME confirmed that Hemsley was still at THE FUNERAL HOME, until THE FUNERAL HOME received the court order telling them what to do with it'. The key to understanding this (IMHO) is that the report says "THE home", not "HIS home".

To the best of my knowledge, it's illegal to keep or hold a dead person's body at a private residence (unless it has been cremated - because it's a public health concern, not to mention immoral) - it must either be sent to a morgue or to a private mortuary. Because otherwise (...and with respect), what are you saying? That they have his body in the home fridge, along side the bacon & eggs?

In any event, may Sherman be resting peacefully.

Shyra said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

The late Sherman's body is being kept in a refrigerator. Plus its never been removed from the house he was living in in El paso Texas

I find this hard to fathom. What type of home refrigerator would hold a man's body?

...and I highly doubt the San Jose Funeral Home has been holding his body for the past 3 months FOR FREE. After all, they're a business - which is why I say that $50k is already gone. And whomever is deemed the beneficiary of it, will also be receiving a huge bill from the funeral home, far exceeding $50k.

PDogz said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:



A worker at the Eastside location of the San Jose Funeral Home in El Paso, Texas confirmed to FOX411’s Pop Tarts column that Hemsley was still at the home, and that they were waiting for a court order telling them what to do with his body.

I could be wrong, but I think you misunderstood the report.

I interpret it as saying 'a worker at THE FUNERAL HOME confirmed that Hemsley was still at THE FUNERAL HOME, until THE FUNERAL HOME received the court order telling them what to do with it'. The key to understanding this (IMHO) is that the report says "THE home", not "HIS home".

To the best of my knowledge, it's illegal to keep or hold a dead person's body at a private residence (unless it has been cremated - because it's a public health concern, not to mention immoral) - it must either be sent to a morgue or to a private mortuary. Because otherwise (...and with respect), what are you saying? That they have his body in the home fridge, along side the bacon & eggs?

In any event, may Sherman be resting peacefully.

No! I was not saying they had his body in the home fridge. Please don't make a joke out of this. They put bodies in a special refridgerator. When the body is stored for a period of time. No matter where it is. They did that with James Brown before they buried him also.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

PDogz said:

I could be wrong, but I think you misunderstood the report.

I interpret it as saying 'a worker at THE FUNERAL HOME confirmed that Hemsley was still at THE FUNERAL HOME, until THE FUNERAL HOME received the court order telling them what to do with it'. The key to understanding this (IMHO) is that the report says "THE home", not "HIS home".

To the best of my knowledge, it's illegal to keep or hold a dead person's body at a private residence (unless it has been cremated - because it's a public health concern, not to mention immoral) - it must either be sent to a morgue or to a private mortuary. Because otherwise (...and with respect), what are you saying? That they have his body in the home fridge, along side the bacon & eggs?

In any event, may Sherman be resting peacefully.

No! I was not saying they had his body in the home fridge. Please don't make a joke out of this. They put bodies in a special refridgerator. When the body is stored for a period of time. No matter where it is. They did that with James Brown before they buried him also.

Those "special refrigerators" are found in morgue's and funeral homes, not in private residences. I think that in your grief, you are misunderstanding the process.

I do apologize i did misunderstand that report. But please drop the sly jokes about it. Its not funny..

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I do apologize i did misunderstand that report.

Apology accepted.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:



Sherman Hemsley still not buried 3 months after death; bizarre legal dispute continues

But this is not where the bizarreness ends. A third person has since come forward amid the battle over Hemsley’s estate, vowing to intervene on the issue prior to the October 31st bench trial date.

“There is only one person in the world who I believe Sherman would call a sister, and that is my mother,” Reverend Michael George Wells, a minister at Arch Street United Methodist Church – who claims to be a cousin on Hemsley’s mother’s side – told the El Paso Times, adding that he believes Enchinton was not close to Sherman and that the Thorntons were not related to the late actor. “We are family, and we are not looking for money. But if we are entitled to something, we don’t want anyone else to have it,” he told The Times.

Wells told FOX411 that while he would still like to intervene before October 31, he has been told he needs a lawyer. Wells says he doesn’t have the $10,000 he says he would need to join the legal fray. “What the media needs to know is that Sherman Hemsley’s body being in the refrigerator for this amount of time is unnecessary and uncalled for. He could have been buried with his family within a week or ten days of his passing,” Wells said, adding that his access to Hemsley both before and after he died was “blocked” by those immediately surrounding him at the time.

“His will and the probate were found seven days after he died. No one reached out to me, my mother, my family or any (person with a) relationship to Sherman. In the beginning they said he died of natural causes. Then it came out he had cancer,” Wells alleged. “There needs to be an investigation. We have no knowledge of the doctors, hospitals, no one talked to us about his cancer. Everything we found out was from the news… Flora knows my family, this is what perplexes me. I called there on June 1, and why did she not tell me Sherman was dying of cancer?”

Wells is also not convinced that the actor’s estate is worth just $50,000 and said he believes his value is “beyond” the reported amount. Reports at the time of his death indicated that no foul play was suspected and no autopsy was planned, although Wells insisted that if he had the financial means he would have one performed “just to get the truth.”

A postmortem report obtained by TMZ listed the primary cause of death is listed as "superior vena cava syndrome" -- a complication resulting from a mass on Sherman's lung, and noted that the star had been advised to undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy before he succumbed to the illness.

When reached by phone, Enchinton also said that she could not comment on the case given its pending legal status, although last month she told the El Paso Times that she “just wants what Sherman would want” and that she has “high respect for the court system in El Paso.”

Attorneys for Enchinton and Thornton did not respond to a request for comment, and Thornton declined to comment.

Civil litigator Anahita Sedaghatfar said she is not surprised that something like this, particularly with an association to Hollywood, could happen.

“It is very sad that after decades in show business, a stellar career by all accounts, this debacle may very well be Sherman's legacy. Only after his death, this man pops up, claiming to be Sherman's half brother, and for what? A claim to a $50,000 estate,” she said. “If he is, then he will have the legal right to challenge the validity of Sherman's will and possibly inherit some or all of the estate. However, it looks like it will be an uphill battle because even if he is proven to be related to Sherman, he will still need to provide a legal basis to challenge the will (which leaves everything to Sherman's former manager) such as duress, lack of capacity or fraud.”

Things could turn even uglier should it be determined that Thornton is not Hemsley’s brother.

“If it turns out that this man is not related to Sherman and was perpetrating a fraud upon the court, which won't be shocking, then he will be held legally accountable for his actions and Flora Enchinton may have legal claims against him,” Sedaghatfar added.

A rep for Hemsley was not available for further comment.

I'm not surprised that a shyster "minister" is in fray. They're some of the biggest scammers on the planet.

If Mr. Helmsley had cancer, perhaps he didn't want it known. And if he claimed to be an only child and wasn't, there must be a damn good reason why he didn't claim kinship to the half brother. Plus, pershaps Mr. Helmsley perceived himself as an only child of his father OR mother. Even if he knew he had a half brother, maybe he couldn't stand the sight of him and wanted nothing to do with him, which would have been his right.

It is sad that wills bring out the worst in people. People who leave estates should always specificaaly name an absolute heir and exclude any persons who contest the will. The only time relatives should get anything is if no will was left.

luv4u said:

It is amazing what money does to folks when someone dies. And they fight over anything. Bunch of greedy vultures

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

The late Sherman's body is being kept in a refrigerator. Plus its never been removed from the house he was living in in El paso Texas