Prince's siblings attend 12-minute hearing, Bremer to manage estate

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Prince's six siblings and 10 attorneys gathered on Monday morning for a 12-minute hearing at the Carver County courthouse to confirm Bremer Trust will remain his estate's special administrator. The hearing was quick, but the process of dividing the estate should take years.

Prince’s only full sister, Tyka Nelson, had already petitioned for the bank to become the estate’s special administrator, which allows it to manage affairs at Paisley Park. At the hearing, Judge Kevin Eide determined there's still no known will, and Prince's siblings had no objections to the appointment. 

The attorney for Bremer Trust told the court that the bank "continues to search" for a will, but did not comment on whether that meant drilling open Prince's vault.

The judge did not allow cameras for Monday's hearing, but may allow them for future proceedings. The other parties would have the ability to disallow them.

Monday’s hearing was quick, but the process of dividing the estate should take years. In addition to divvying up the estate, the other big issue going forward is whether Prince’s family will have control over his image and likeness. This control, referred to as the “right of publicity,” could be worth just as much as the estate. Minnesota has no state law automatically transferring control.

Search warrant sealed

About a week after Prince's death, the judge approved a motion to seal the search warrant and documents related to Prince’s death to avoid hampering the investigation.

The search warrant and accompanying documents will be sealed until any potential criminal proceedings are initiated, or until 180 days elapse, whichever comes first.

Sheriff discounts reports of drugs found on Prince

Several national news organizations have reported that prescription drugs were found with Prince when he was found dead in his Paisley Park home last Thursday, April 21. ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN cited unidentified law enforcement sources in reporting that prescription painkillers were found at Paisley Park and on Prince himself.

Fox 9 spoke to Carver County Chief Deputy Jason Kamerud on Wednesday. He said those reports were news to him and confirmed the sheriff’s office has not yet asked for the DEA’s help with the investigation. He added that the DEA is not part of the active investigation at this time.

Final autopsy results are expected to take about 3 weeks.

Carried unconscious off jet in Moline

Fire and ambulance records released Wednesday by the City of Moline, Ill. say Prince’s bodyguard carried him unconscious off of his private jet after it made an emergency landing six days before he died at Paisley Park. READ MORE

The death of Prince

Prince Rogers Nelson, 57, died Thursday, April 21 at his home at Paisley Park. He was last seen alive at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20. He did not respond to calls on Thursday morning, which prompted his friends and staff to call in a welfare check around 9:30 a.m. on April 21. Prince was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park, according to the Carver County Sheriff's office. Deputies attempted CPR, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Prince's property

Paisley Park has an assessed value of $6.7 million, but property records obtained by Fox 9 show Prince owned 15 properties in Carver County worth nearly $30 million. The properties were held under Paisley Park, Inc. READ MORE

Music vault

Prince had recently signed a big deal with the music streaming service Tidal and reached a settlement with Warner Brothers that gave him ownership of his back catalogue. Among the treasures inside Paisley Park is the so-called vault in the basement, where Prince reportedly kept the master recordings to hundreds of unpublished songs and at least two complete albums. IN-DEPTH: Future of Prince's estate up in air

“There will be a spike in income [when] people of that ilk pass away, especially in [their] 50s,” said entertainment attorney Lee Phillip, who became Prince's lawyer when he was just 18 and represented him for more than a decade.