AndrewBlakeFargo, ND – The family of a widow of a Minnesota county sheriff’s deputy says that she was “taken advantage of” in the final hours of her life by a man who claimed to be her boyfriend.
Her sister says that the man made himself executor of the widow’s estate and the beneficiary of money she received when her husband was killed in the line of duty.
The sister of the police widow made her claim on a GoFundMe page, KFGO-TV reported.
Emily Dewey and Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Dewey were married for six years when Chris was fatally shot in 2009 and eventually died in 2010 from those wounds.
Emily’s sister, Hannah Rentmeester, was quoted extensively in a story published March 1 in the Pioneer Press about her sister’s downward spiral into alcoholism after her husband’s death.
Emily died on Jan. 31 from health complications due to alcoholism.
Now, Rentmeester is speaking out about her claim that her sister was taken advantage of in the final days of her life, according to KFGO.
Rentmeester said in the Duluth News-Tribune that her sister was unable to stand or work without assistance and was unable to form a sentence in the final days.
The GoFundMe page spells out how the family believes Emily was taken advantage of by her boyfriend:
“In the last 24 hours of her life, this man took Em to his attorney and had her make him the executor of her estate. She also changed him to be the beneficiary of the money she received when Christopher was killed.
One professional that she dealt on her final day with said that he has never experienced anything like it. He described hearing this man and an attorney coach Em, as she made these incredibly important decisions, in the final hours of her life.
I spoke to Em just hours before this and she clearly was not healthy in mind or body.
This has resulted in a dispute over everything that belonged to Emily. Her remains are sitting in a crematorium as this man said that Emily should not be given to the family. While this man claims that he will return Christopher’s ashes to the family, he has made no effort to make this happen and claims that the family hasn’t attempted or requested the belongings.
To prove that this last will and testament is fraudulent, it will need to be contested in court. Unfortunately, this will require an attorney who has said that the cost of fighting this could reach upwards of $18,000.”
The GoFundMe page has raised $4,530 of the $18,000 goal in the first two days.
Chris Dewey was a deputy with the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s office in Minnesota. On Feb. 18, 2009, he was shot in the head and stomach while he was out on a call, according to the Pioneer Press.
The officer eventually died from those wounds on Aug. 9, 2010. He was 27.
Thomas Fairbanks was convicted in 2011 for the murder of Dewey and given the mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
Daniel Vernier pleaded guilty to failure to render aid and was sentenced to two years in prison, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.