DNA Discovery Leads to Multi-Million Pound Inheritance Dispute
A woman from Massachusetts, who grew up in a humble background, experienced a dramatic family saga after a home DNA test revealed the existence of two sisters, only for the situation to deteriorate into a bitter legal fight over a $28.8 million medical malpractice settlement.
Carmen Thomas, 28, from Lexington, submitted her DNA to 23andMe in February 2023. The results led her to her biological father, Joseph Brown, and her two half-sisters, Kali and Abigail Brown. Tragically, she discovered that her father had died five years earlier.
A Tragic Death and a Multi-Million Pound Payout
Joseph Brown, 43, passed away on January 13, 2018, at Salem Hospital from an undiagnosed aortic aneurysm. According to legal filings, he had gone to the emergency room with upper abdominal pain that spread to his chest and back. After nearly a day in the hospital, his condition worsened. By the time doctors identified the aneurysm, it was too late to save him.
His wife, Kristin Eckhardt, and their two daughters subsequently sued Salem Hospital, claiming medical staff could have diagnosed him approximately 20 hours sooner. In April 2023, a jury ruled in the family's favour, awarding them the substantial $28.8 million settlement.
From Family Reunion to Legal Confrontation
A month before the settlement was concluded, Thomas had contacted her half-sister, Kali, now 26, initiating a reunion. Court documents depicted a period of apparent happiness, with photographs showing Thomas smiling with her newfound sisters and meeting other relatives.
However, the Brown family's legal opposition presented a different story. They claimed that Kali and Abigail were 'very upset and hesitant' to meet Thomas but did so to be kind. The filing alleged that Thomas was 'very assertive and possessive' from the start and attempted to 'prey on the family financially and emotionally' by demanding payment for gas, food, and alcohol, and even threatening self-harm if they did not respond to her texts.
The relationship completely broke down after Thomas reportedly referred to their late father as a 'dead beat dad', prompting the family to cut off all contact with her on April 7, 2023.
Thomas then filed a lawsuit against her sisters, seeking a share of the inheritance. The Brown family contested her claim, noting that her biological mother had never contacted them about a relationship with Mr. Brown and that Thomas had never formally established paternity. The family's lawyer, Joseph D. Lipchitz, stated that the lawsuit was resolved favourably for the Brown family, though no further settlement details were disclosed.
Joseph Brown was remembered in his obituary as a 'loving and dedicated husband and father' who was happiest at home with his family.
