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Six months after the death of former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards, details from his will have been released.
Edwards passed away July 12, 2021 at the age of 93, surrounded by family and friends. He had placed himself in hospice care a week prior to his death after complaining about a pain in his right lung. It was previously reported that he had been dealing with respiratory problems over the final few years of his life.
The late governor reportedly hand-wrote his own brief will back in 2017 on a sheet of legal paper, leaving everything to his 8-year-old son Eli, whom he shared with his third wife Trina Scott Edwards, WBRZ reports. The handwritten will was filed last week in Ascension Parish.
According to Leo Honeycutt, Edwards' biographer, the entire will contained fewer than 150 words, a stark departure for the man Honeycutt knew as being "very verbose."
"He was very verbose when it came to his legal situation and the way that he talked legally. So it's interesting that at the last part of his life that he would write out, basically what looks like, what's that, four paragraphs," Honeycutt said. He added that Louisiana's longest-serving governor and his youngest son had a very strong bond.
"They just loved to be around each other," he said. "It was really wonderful."
While the assets listed in the will have not been released, with Trina Edwards requesting that the assets be filed under seal, some of Edwards' own words that he wrote have been reported. It appears he wanted all of his children to understand why he chose to leave everything to his youngest son. He has four adult children from his first marriage.
"I hope my other children realize that I do not love Eli more, or them less, but realize what I leave him is less than each received in money, property, homes and education..." the will states, in part.
According to the news outlet, Victoria Edwards, one of the late governor's other children, has cited state law and requested the court award her a fourth of her father's estate, claiming she has a mental illness that affects her ability to manage her own assets.