Minnesota judge sets procedure for vetting potential Prince heirs

Carver County Judge Kevin Eide has set a 3-step procedure that anyone claiming to be an heir to the estate of Prince must complete, including DNA testing. The court order follows a claim from a Colorado prison inmate who believes he is the biological son of Prince, and a document that suggests Prince has another long-lost family member.

A lawyer for Prince's deceased half-brother filed a document on Friday, May 13, saying Duane Nelson had a daughter who is now 11 years old and may be a legal heir to the estate.

According to the court order:

1. Any party claiming a genetic relationship to the decedent that may give rise to heirship must file an affidavit with the Court setting forth the facts that establish the reasonable possibility of the existence of such a relationship.

2.  Thereafter, the Special Administrator shall develop a plan or protocol for testing, after considering the positions of the parties claiming a genetic relationship. In that regard, the Special Administrator may require a party claiming a genetic relationship to the decedent to submit to and pay for blood and genetic tests in order to determine if a genetic relationship exists.

3. The Special Administrator is authorized to engage DNA Diagnostics Center to perform the blood and genetic testing required to determine if a genetic relationship to the decedent exists.

The death of Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, died Thursday, April 21 at his home at Paisley Park. He was last seen alive at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20. He did not respond to calls Thursday morning, which prompted his friends and staff to call in a welfare check around 9:30 a.m. on April 21. Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park, according to the Carver County sheriff’s office. Deputies attempted CPR but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.