Aretha Franklin's Son Demands Handwriting Expert Examine Newly Discovered Wills

Aretha Franklin’s son wants a handwriting expert to examine the three handwritten wills recently found, to determine if his mother wrote them.

According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Kecalf Franklin filed a petition in his late mother’s estate seeking for court approval to bring an expert to court. Aretha’s heirs have not been able to agree if the wills are real or not.

Kecalf hired a handwriting expert with Speckin Forensic Laboratories. He wants the judge to allow the man to use technology to go over the handwriting.

He says the court previously prohibited the expert from using his equipment, and now needs the judge to sign off.

Back in May, the personal representative of the estate, Sabrina Owens, informed the court she found three handwritten wills.

She explained while at Franklin’s home she discovered a key to a locked cabinet to which she had been previously unable to gain access and open.

Inside the cabinet she found two purported Holographic Wills signed by Franklin dated June 2010 and October 2010. She then found a spiral notebook in the living room couch with another purported will dated 2014.

She held a meeting with the heirs who have not been able to agree on if they were authentic.

All this comes as Keclaf is trying to take control of the estate away from Owens. Last month, Kecalf went to court to file docs seeking to take complete control of Aretha’s estate and wanted Owens removed ASAP.

He accused her of mismanaging the estate and failing to perform her duties. Kecalf requested the judge appoint him as the successor and allow him to completely manage all aspects of Franklin’s business.

Kecalf claimed Owens has failed to provide the heirs any accounting or inventory of his mother’s property and assets. He wants to a full list of her jewelry, masters, Grammys, gold records and other awards.

He called Owens out for not communicating about the new business deals being negotiated. Kecalf claimed to know nothing about the announced television show Genius and the scheduled MGM biopic about Aretha’s life.

The heir even claimed they have been given no information about the investigation of her music catalog worth or the investigation of forgery of her checks. He also wants information about the audits being done on her IRS tax returns from 2012 – 2018.

Owens fired back denying Kecalf’s allegations she has left the heirs in the dark. She claimed to be handling all responsibilities of the estate on time and properly.

She said inventory hasn’t been done yet but blamed the heirs for delays. Owens was adamant Kecalf and the other siblings have been updated constantly about the business affairs.

Owens also revealed since police did not press charges over alleged stolen property of Franklins, the estate is preparing a civil lawsuit. She asked the court to deny all requests by Kecalf and keep her on.

Kecalf recently got support from his brother Edward Franklin, who supports him taking over the estate.