Mother Files Lawsuit Against Daughter’s Killer’s Estate

Karen Jarrell, the mother of Stacey Grotenhuis, found fatally stabbed in the neck after her father, Gary Volkers, killed himself, has filed a lawsuit against Volkers’ estate.  Jarrell is seeking compensation for medical, funeral and burial costs, and the loss of her relationship with her daughter.  She is also seeking “reasonable damages for Stacey’s pain and suffering while conscious between the time Stacey’s injuries were inflicted and Stacey died.”

The lawsuit further says that another woman by the name of Jeannie Smith is alleging she is also Volkers’ daughter, and has filed paperwork related to Volkers’ estate in Ottawa County Probate Court.  Jarrell acknowledged that Volkers paid child support on her behalf but now “demands proof thereof” that she is his daughter. 

See John Agar, Woman Says Ex-Husband Killed Daughter, Himself; Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against His Estate, Michigan Live, Nov. 4, 2014.