Matherson v. Pope

OPINION

MORRIS, Justice.

Through hard work and money-saving habits, Lee Jess Davis accumulated before his death an estate worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, he died without a will. Making things worse, Lee Jess died without a clear family history. This is not to say, however, that Lee Jess died without a family. Indeed, this case is about which of Lee Jess’s competing families has the right to claim his valuable estate. The answer to that question depends on who was Lee Jess’s father.

Thalia Matherson and Verna G. Mitchell, appellants, are sisters. Their father and Lee Jess’s…