Number of potential prince heirs further reduced

Potential Prince heirs further narrowed by Court.

Potential Prince heirs further narrowed by Court.

I have written several blog entries since the passing of Prince on April 21, 2016.  Ever since he was found dead from a Fentanyl overdose, his family has been involved in a bitter estate dispute.  Immediately after Prince passed away it became clear that he did not have a will.  He also did not have any children.  According to Minnesota law, his siblings, specifically one sibling and five half-siblings would be entitled to share in his estate.  Many other individuals with ties to the family have come forward alleging they were related to Prince.  The number of potential Prince heirs has been steadily decreasing as various individuals have been found to have no legitimate claims to the estate.

Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide, who is overseeing the case, has ruled out approximately 30 potential heirs.  He ordered genetic testing for several possible family members.  Prince’s younger sister, Tyka Nelson, was required to undergo genetic testing.  The same applied to three half-siblings, specifically: Sharon Nelson, Norrine Nelson, and John Nelson.  Two other possible half-brothers, Omar Baker and Alfred Jackson, were not not ordered to undergo genetic testing.

Alleged niece and grandniece attempt to claim rights to the estate

The most recent development involves two women who claimed to be Prince’s niece and grandniece.  The full story is found here. Brianna Nelson and her niece, Victoria Nelson, asserted that they had rights as heirs to the estate estate.  Specifically, they claimed that they were related to Prince through Duane Nelson Sr. who was allegedly a half-brother to Prince.  According to Brianna Nelson and Victoria Nelson, Duane Nelson Sr. was a half-brother because Prince’s father, John L. Nelson, treated Duane as his son for a long time.  Justice Kevin Eide rejected their argument stating that Minnesota probate law requires parent-child relationships to be established by genetics, adoption, assisted reproduction, or a presumed relationship that was legally established before death. Treating someone as a son or a daughter is not enough.

The decision of Justice Kevin Eide will likely allow the matter to move forward.  Many potential Prince heirs have been excluded.  As a result, the parties involved are moving closer to a decision as to what is to happen with Prince’s estate.  It is not surprising that there are many people attempting to claim an interest in the estate which is valued at an estimated $300 million dollars.  It will be interesting to see what happens next in this dispute.

More on this story here.