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CNN Live Today

New Development in Dispute Over Remains of Baseball Legend Ted Williams

Aired July 25, 2002 - 13:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, there is a new development in the dispute over the remains of baseball legend Ted Williams.

CNN's John Zarrella joins us now live from Miami with the latest. All I can think about is, poor Ted -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boy, I know. You can't even say he is rolling over in his grave, unfortunately. I didn't mean to say that, but I did. He is, of course, as most people know by now, he has been frozen, his remains frozen out in Arizona.

And today, finally, the family has produced a document that everybody has been asking, do you have it, where is it? A document they say, Ted Williams signed, along with John Henry Williams, his son, and his daughter, Claudia. This document, according the attorney representing the family, states that Ted, Claudia and John Henry, there can you see it.

It's a handwritten note, and I'll read it to you. It says "JHW" -- that's John Henry Williams, "Claudia" -- those are the two children, "and dad all agree to be put in biostasis after we die. This is what we want, to be able to together in the future, even if it is only a chance." And those are the signatures of the three. And it was dated 11-2-00.

We are told it was written at the time when Ted Williams was in Shands Hospital in Gainesville, about to undergo an operation. And there was a photo that was also released that shows the three of them together. It is the only recent photo we know of that shows the three family members together. There it is, there. That of course, Claudia, on the right, with her arm around her father, his back to us. And John Henry Williams with his hand on his father's arm on his left.

Now, why didn't they release this earlier? The attorney representing the family, Bob Goldman, told us a little while ago, because they wanted to keep this whole thing private, but it wasn't kept private because Bobby Jo, the oldest daughter from a previous marriage, another one of Ted's -- his first marriage, says she wants his body to be cremated, that's what it calls for in the will. The attorney says this document will supersede the will, and in fact, the attorney says, that because Ted's remains are now out of state, in Arizona, the Florida court really has no jurisdiction to force the body to be returned here for any other disposition, and it would have to be up to a court in Arizona, we presume, to decide that.

Now, John Henry Williams, who was so keenly aware of his father's practicing, being a baseball player, getting everything authenticated that his father signed, baseball, and bats, and glove, the question is, why is there no other witness? Why is there no authentication on this particular document that would make it more believable? The attorney says, the family wanted to keep the document private. In fact, that smudge marks were because it was folded up and kept, according to the attorney, for a long period of time in John Henry's car. They won't say where the document is now, other than it is in safe keeping.

But that that's why John Henry Williams, who, again, was so conscious of having everything his father ever signed authenticated, why did he not get this authenticated and some other witnesses to sign that. Again, because they say the family wanted to keep it very, very private.

If the eldest daughter, Bobby Jo, does not go ahead now and say, that's it, we're done, it's over, you can go ahead and leave his body out in Arizona, attorneys say they expect to be in court in the next 20-odd days or so for a hearing to present more evidence if necessary, and of course, Kyra, we will keep everyone up to date on the developments in this strange twisting saga of the remains of the great baseball legend Ted Williams -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John, the letter, is it going to be analyzed by someone or some entity, look at the handwriting? How do you tell if this is indeed authentic?

ZARRELLA: Exactly. And the attorneys are telling us, that, well, we are not going to tell what you we have done, but the attorney said, I guarantee you absolutely, unequivocally, this is an absolutely genuine letter. Now that's his word we have to take on it. But they say -- and they're not going to tell us how they authenticated Ted Williams' signature. But all three apparently signed it on the same day in Shands Hospital in Gainesville, while Ted was awaiting surgery, a very difficult surgery, back in 2000.

But again, they won't tell us how they are going to prove that it's authentic. That we wait and see when they go to court in 20 days, if in fact the case does get that far -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John Zarrella, thank you.

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