Burns v. Adamson

Steele Hays, Justice.

The question in this will contest is whether one of the two attesting witnesses’ signatures on a will satisfies the statutory requirements of attestation.

On February 3, 1992, Nettie Frost signed a will in her hospital room in Memphis, Tennessee. She died the following day. Appellant, Larry Burns, nephew of Ms. Frost, filed a petition for probate of the will as sole beneficiary. Other nephews and a niece contested the will.

A hearing established that around noon February 3, Ms. Frost asked a friend, Jewell Burns, to sign her will, which Ms. Burns did. Ms. Burns signed in…