After mediation failed to resolve a dispute between the three surviving children of Martin Luther King Jr. over his Nobel Peace Prize and personal Bible it now appears that the case will go to trial soon.
Martin Luther King's two surviving sons and his sole surviving daughter are currently the only shareholders and directors of the corporation that oversees King's estate. This would not be an issue except for the fact that the children often do not agree about how to handle the affairs of the estate.
The current dispute began in 2014 when the two brothers voted to sell their father's Nobel Peace Prize and personal Bible to a private buyer. Their sister voted against the proposal and refused to turn the items over claiming they were not part of the estate. The prized possessions are now in a safety deposit box pending the outcome of the legal dispute between the relatives.
The case was previously headed to trial in 2015, but the parties informed the court they were close to a settlement and asked to go to mediation. It now appears the mediation failed to result in an agreement, so the case is expected to go to trial in the near future.
The parties could still agree to a settlement. However, the mediator they used to resolve their conflict was former President Jimmy Carter. If he could not facilitate an agreement between the siblings, it is doubtful that one will be reached now.
Fox News reported on this development in "Family feud over Martin Luther King's Bible, Nobel Prize moves closer to trial." A trial has not been scheduled yet, but it could come as early as August.
Reference: Fox News (June 16, 2016) "Family feud over Martin Luther King's Bible, Nobel Prize moves closer to trial."
