Casey Kasem could have died after wife Jean took him from a California nursing home in the middle of the night, disconnecting his feeding tube and ignoring medical advice.
A private investigator hired to look into Jean Casey’s actions on May 7 found that doctors were afraid that Casey Kasem could have been killed from her actions.
“She disconnected his G-tube, which provided his only source to nutrition and hydration,” Dr. Paul Leitner, who was Kasem’s doctor at the facility, wrote to Santa Monica police. “She was informed of the risks of doing so and was told she was placing Mr. Kasem in great bodily harm or possible demise.”
The incident was reportedly sparked after Casey’s daughters, Kerri and Julie, paid a visit to their father. Jean Kasem grew so concerned about Casey’s privacy that she took her husband from the nursing home at 2:30 am.
“Mrs. Kasem insisted on taking Mr. Kasem out of the facility, even though I have clearly explained that it was dangerous and can be fatal due to his medical condition,” said Jennifer Kusiappiah, a registered nurse who signed a statement about the incident.
Jean Kasem was forced to sign documents showing that she was ignoring medical advice in taking her husband from the facility. She took her husband from the nursing home in a wheelchair and brought him to the backseat of an SUV.
The private investigator who collected the information, Logan Clarke, said he delivered his findings to elder abuse investigators with the Santa Monica Police Department.
“They promised they would look into it,” Clarke said Thursday.
Casey Kasem’s medical condition has reportedly deteriorated, and last week he was hospitalized in critical condition suffering from bed sores. A judge ruled this week that his daughter may resume end of life procedures, including withholding food and fluids from her ailing father.
It was not known if Jean Kasem would face charges for taking husband Casey Kasem from the nursing home in May.