King Ranch Case Almost Ready for Jury

The battle over the estate B.K. Johnson, one of the heirs to the famous King Ranch in Texas, is about to go to the jury after a three month trial.

Here is a brief outline of this outrageous case from Michelle Roberts, King Ranch heir’s will leads to king-sized family fight, Houston Chronicle, July 2, 2007:

• B.K. died in 2001 while married to his third wife.
• The trial regarding B.K.’s capacity to execute his will and whether he was subject to undue influence has gone on for three months.  Closing arguments started on July 2, 2007.
• During his lifetime, B.K. drafted over 20 different wills.
• B.K. established inter vivos trusts for his children and grandchildren.
• Under his alleged last will, the rest of his estate ($40-$60 million) would pass into a trust for his wife and upon her death, one-half would pass to charity and the other half to the wife’s children or to charity as directed by his wife.
• B.K.’s children claim that although they have trusts for their benefit, their father would not have excluded them from his will.
• B.K.’s children claim B.K. drank so much liquor that he could be easily manipulated.
• B.K.’s children claim his wife orchestrated B.K.’s investments and estate plan for her benefit.
• The attorney for the executor of B.K.’s estate asserts that he was a functional alcoholic and that he omitted his children from his will because he had already provided for them with multi-million dollar trusts.