This column discusses a recent case involving a Federal Court that refused take a life insurance interpleader case that involved the assertion of a slayer statute. The reason behind the Court’s decision was the pendency of litigation on the same subject in state court. “Harold Henthorn was convicted of murdering his wife, allegedly by pushing her off of a cliff in Rocky Mountain National Park.” Mr. Henthorn was named as the sole beneficiary of his wife’s life insurance policy that had a $1.5 million death benefit, and there were two other life insurance policies that he was also the beneficiary of. There was extensive media coverage over the case that this column analyzes. In this case the Court applied a five-factor test that federal courts use to when exercising jurisdiction over a declaratory matter.
See Jeffrey Skatoff, Federal Interpleader Case Involving Slayer Statute Dismissed, Clark Skatoff PA, February 8, 2016.
Special thanks to Jeffrey Skatoff (Clark Skatoff PA) for bringing this article to my attention.
