The body of legendary sports car designer Carroll Shelby has been temporarily parked at a Dallas medical examiner's office since his death in May 2012.
The reason his body has not been laid to rest is due to a dispute over the body between his children and his, technically legal wife, Cleo. Even though they have been legally separated since 2010 when Carroll filed for divorce. His children do have a document apparently signed by Carroll that does give them the rights to his remains. In spite of this, Cleo claims that she still has the right to make decisions regarding the removal of his body. And also claims that the document is a forgery because Carroll did not have the physical capacity to sign such a document.
This conflict gets even more complicated by the fact that Carroll also filed a petition, in addition to the divorce, to have the marriage annulled. He accused Cleo of lying to him about her entire past including her assets and even her real name. And if the judge decides to grant this annulment, despite his death, Cleo loses her right to his remains and the rights will revert to his children.
For more information on how to include provisions for your remains after your death, please consult with a qualified professional estate litigation Attorney.
*This blog entry was not written by an Attorney and should not be constituted as professional legal advice.