Watch CBS News

Children Of Slain La Verne Couple Sue For Control Of Their Estate

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The slayings of an elderly La Verne couple have led to a complicated family feud.

Darci S. Isom is suing, claiming the daughter of her father's wife, Mischelynn Scarlatelli, is trying to wrest control of the family estate and alter her and her two siblings' inheritance rights.

Isom's father was 89-year-old Armie "Troy" Isom, who was found dead, along with his wife – 74-year-old Shirley Isom – at their sprawling and isolated multimillion-dollar home in the 300 block of Roughrider Road about 1:25 p.m. Dec. 26. Shirley Isom died of blunt force injuries and her husband died at a hospital later that day from being beaten and stabbed.

Detectives have said the motive is not known.

Darci Isom claims in a fraud and elder abuse suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday that Scarlatelli conspired to defraud her father by misappropriating funds from his bank accounts and threatening physical harm to take control of his separate property and his estate holdings, "thereby altering the rights of inheritance of daughter Darci and her brother and sister."

The suit also alleges Scarlatelli conspired in 2013 to force Troy Isom to sign documents giving her power of attorney at a time when he lacked the mental ability to understand what he was doing. The effect was to "deprive the plaintiff of her rightful position as a co-trustee and to further deprive her (of her) rightful inheritance as set forth in the Isom Family Trust," according to the lawsuit.

Scarlatelli took photos of her slain mother and dying stepfather at their home and emailed them to family members, but not to Troy Isom's children, Darci Isom alleges in the lawsuit. She also took control of the Isom family estate and began making funeral arrangements without contacting Darci Isom and her siblings, the suit states.

The couple was buried Jan. 1 and Scarlatelli never told the plaintiff about the burial plans during the six days between their deaths and their interment, according to the lawsuit.

Darci Isom is asking for a court order removing control of the family estate from Scarlatelli so that cash and other property owned by the couple before they were killed cannot be transferred or sold. She also is requesting that Scarlatelli be directed to return any assets taken from the estate.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.