Claims have poured into the probate court since Prince’s younger sister Tyka Nelson filed a petition seeking the appointment of a special administrator for the estate and naming herself and five half-siblings as the only known heirs. In his 19-page order, Carver County Judge Kevin Eide appeared to accept those six claims, stating, “The court is not aware of any objection or dispute with the statement that these persons are the siblings or half-siblings of Prince.”
Under the ruling, Tyka Nelson and three half-siblings by Prince’s father - John, Norrine and Sharon Nelson – will undergo genetic testing, along with two more individuals claiming to be Prince’s niece and grandniece. No provision for genetic testing was made for two other half-brothers - Alfred Jackson and Omar Baker - who shared a common mother with the singer.
The judge dismissed claims of heirship from a total of 29 other people, purported to have some degree of kinship with Prince, including a professed secret wife who said the CIA had classified their marriage records as top secret. Among other would-be heirs he denied were five people who came forward claiming Prince was their biological or adoptive father and several others claiming their dad was also Prince’s genetic parent by way of an extramarital affair with his mother. There was also a batch of claims by several people who described themselves as descendants of a sister of Prince’s great-grandfather.
The musician – born as Prince Rogers Nelson – has long been identified in public records as the only surviving son from the marriage between Mattie Della Shaw and John L. Nelson, both of whom are now dead. Judge Eide ruled there was no “credible, documented claim” of a surviving Prince spouse.
If Prince also left no will and no surviving offspring of his own, as appears to be the case, his estate under Minnesota law would be apportioned in equal shares to his siblings and the nearest surviving descendants of any siblings now dead. Siblings and half-siblings are treated the same. The special administrator of the estate, Bremer Trust, has said it was in the process of determining the fair-market value of Prince’s estate.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 31st, 2016.
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