Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Kero) — A legal battle is underway over the estate of a South Dakota couple who made millions of dollars by selling their Tyrannosaurus rex, Sue.
In 1990, fossil hunters discovered Sue’s giant skeleton on the property of Maurice and Darlene Williams on the Cheyenne River Reservation in central South Dakota. Because of its location, people questioned who owned the rights to the Sue, which led to years of legal battles. The debate has now shifted to who will inherit the rest of the fortune created by the skeletons.
Ultimately, the Williamses were able to lay claim to the finds. In 1997, Maurice and Darlene Williams auctioned Sue off for $7.6 million, and it remains on display at Chicago’s Field Museum. At 47 feet long, Sue is one of the largest and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus skeletons ever discovered.
More than a decade later, in 2011, Maurice Williams passed away. His wife Darlene then moved from the ranch to Spearfish and then to Sioux Falls, where she passed away in December 2020.
According to the obituary, the couple had four children, and court records show that three of their siblings are currently embroiled in a legal battle over Darlene’s estate. Records filed with Lincoln County show Darlene Williams has two wills.
The original, signed in 2017, includes all of her children and grandchildren, and has very specific instructions.
She gave her daughters diamond rings and intended her grandchildren to receive an equal share of her inheritance.
His daughter, Sandra Williams Luther, is also named as his personal representative, who will be responsible for settling the estate and ensuring the execution of his will.
The second will was dated November 25, 2020, two and a half weeks before Darlene passed away. The law designates her daughter Sandra as her sole heir and sole executor.
In a typed document, she asks her children not to fight. She said she had lived in conflict with them for too long and perhaps with her death, her children would find peace and return to her family.
In August 2021, a few months after Darlene’s death, a judge appointed her other daughter, Jacqueline Schwartz, as special administrator of the estate. The court ruled that she will continue in the role in February 2022. According to court documents, Schwartz questions whether the second will is legal.
She said her mother was seriously ill and in hospice care when she signed the paperwork, and there were no witnesses in the room due to coronavirus restrictions.
Schwartz is also contesting the sale of his mother’s home in Spearfish two weeks before her death. Schwartz claims his mother’s signature does not match other documents.
The $225,000 proceeds ultimately went to Darlene’s son, Carson Williams, according to court records.
The latest documents, filed earlier this year, seek permission to sue on behalf of the estate against Sandra Luther, Carson Williams and possibly Dakota Title. They claim there is a possibility of misappropriation of funds or fraud.
Nexstar’s KELO has reached out to Schwartz and Luther for comment. Mr. Schwartz called back and said the case was ongoing. She declined further comment.
There are currently no trial dates set.