Casey Kasem Found in Washington State

Just hours after a missing persons report was filed by his children, and only three days removed from a Los Angeles judge ordering an investigation into his whereabouts, Top 40 radio legend Casey Kasem was found in Washington State.

While Kasem's condition has not been released, his children are reportedly overjoyed that their father has been located, announcing in a statement that they see this as the first significant step towards bringing him back to the Los Angeles area.

Further details via AP:

Santa Monica police Sgt. Mario Toti said Kasem was located by the Kitsap County Sheriff's Department on Wednesday, hours after Kasem's children filed a missing person's report. Kasem's daughter Kerri, who was appointed his temporary conservator at a court hearing on Monday, had to wait for court filings before she was able to file the report.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel S. Murphy ordered adult protective services and court investigators to try to locate Kasem after an attorney for his wife told the court that the former "Top 40" host was no longer in the United States but he did not know where he was.

Kerri Kasem's attorney Troy Martin said during the hearing that Kasem had been moved to an Indian reservation but was not sure because he had been frequently moved from medical facilities.

"We are grateful to the local authorities for finding my dad," Kerri Kasem wrote in a statement. "We are one step closer to bringing him home."

Credit: Chris Polk/Film Magic

The 82-year-old radio legend has been in poor health as of late, as Kerri Casem's court filings reveal that her father suffers from a rare form of dementia known as Lewy Body Disease -- a condition mistakenly diagnosed as an advanced form of Parkinson's. This is troubling enough as it is, but the matter has only been complicated by Casey Kasem's wife of 34 years, Jean, who has reportedly been restricting his children's access to him in recent months, necessitating this protracted legal battle in the first place. Although their father has been found, Kasem's children still have "grave concerns" about their father's health, according to family spokesman Danny Deraney. However, Kerri Kasem is currently Casey Kasem's temporary conservator, as appointed by the court -- a role which grants her final say in the financial affairs and daily life of her father due to his physical infirmities and advanced age.

A hearing has been scheduled for June 20 in which Judge Murphy is to receive updates on Kasem's health and overall well-being. Here's hoping for the best. But it's simply a relief that his whereabouts are no longer a mystery.

Via: Associated Press