Sherman Hemsley’s Long Journey to the Grave Delayed by DNA Test

Judge orders man claiming to be "The Jeffersons" star Sherman Hemsley's brother to provide DNA sample in will dispute

"The Jeffersons" star Sherman Hemsley won't be moving on down, into the ground until at least November, it appears.

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In the latest development in a protracted legal saga that began after the former sitcom star's death, a judge has ordered a man claiming to be Hemsley's brother to undergo a DNA test, the Associated Press reports.

Also read: Sherman Hemsley Still in Cold Storage a Month After Death

The claim of fraternity has prevented the actor's burial, more than two months after his death.

Philadelphia resident Richard Thornton, Hemsley's self-professed sibling, is contesting the actor's will, which left Hemsley's estate to his longtime manager, Flora Enchinton.

Also read: Notable Celebrity Deaths of 2012

The trial over Hemsley's estate has now been rescheduled to begin Oct. 31. In the meantime, Hemsley's body is being kept in cold storage at an El Paso funeral home until the dispute is resolved.

Court papers put Hemsley's estate at more than $50,000.

Hemsley died of lung cancer at age 74 on July 24 in El Paso, Texas, where the actor had lived for the past two decades. He was born in Philadelphia, but Enchinton told the Associated Press last month that she had never heard Hemsley mention any relatives in the past.
 

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