Harty Estate

SOKOLOVE, J.,

William Edward Harty Jr., the executor of the estate of his late father, William E. Harty, has filed a petition for declaratory judgment pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. §7535 for direction in the administration of the estate. The executor has asked us to make the following determinations: (1) Whether the decedent’s widow, Aurora C. Harty, was a slayer under 20 Pa.C.S. § §8801 et seq. and, therefore, prohibited from benefiting from decedent’s death; (2) If the widow is deemed to be a slayer, whether certain trusts created by the decedent become nullities; (3) If the trusts are nullities,…