Entertainment

Casey Kasem Has Been Found

by Kadeen Griffiths

Radio legend Casey Kasem has been missing this week, much to the alarm of two of his daughters, Kerri and Julie Kasem. The New York Daily News is exclusively reporting that Kasem has been found in Washington, mere hours after Kerri Kasem filed a missing persons report with the Santa Monica Police Department on Wednesday. At the moment, Kasem has yet to be returned home and no updates about his health are available.

"The family has grave concerns about his health and will do everything in their power to bring him back home," they said in a statement issued by their spokesperson. Kasem has been suffering from Lewy body dementia, a degenerative disease that leaves him unable to speak. He was previously interred in a California medical facility before his disappearance.

His wife of 34 years, Jean Kasem, had been in control of his medical care until last Monday, when Kerri Kasem was appointed his temporary conservator. According to reports, Jean frequently blocked Kasem's daughters from his previous marriage from seeing him and the internal conflict within the family led Kerri and Julie's visit to Kasem last Tuesday to be the first time they'd seen their father "in months".

An investigation into Kasem's whereabouts was ordered by a Los Angeles judge after Jean Kasem's attorney reported that they did not know exactly where Kasem was. However, when Kasem was found by sheriffs in Kitsap County, Wash., Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Deputy Scott Wilson said that Jean Kasem was present with Casey Kasem, who "is visiting on vacation... [and] is cognizant of his location." Wilson went on to say that he does not believe that this is a police matter.

Considering the bad blood present between members of the Kasem family, it probably comes as no surprise that Jean went to Kasem's side before alerting his daughters about his safety and location, but the situation is far from completely resolved. Kerri Kasem is still Kasem's temporary conservator and has yet to see her father since his disappearance. What she decides to do when further details come to light still remains to be seen, but at least we can rest assured that Kasem has been found and is safe.