Is it true that Ken Lay's family or estate will not have to pay any monies

[cantstandbush]

or give up any properties because he is supposedly dead?

[AlCzervik]

1. the life insurance money does not pass through the estate so

his wife and kids will get that, or just the wife, the rest of the estate will be gone after in civil suits, just the criminal part died with him.

[spindrifter]

2. Since he was not sentenced

no restitution was ordered on the criminal case. The life insurance isn't touchable. And apparently, he managed to shelter a lot of his other money. Of course, that was before he "left" Enron. He could afford some very savvy estate planners.

[bluestateguy]

3. Bush is pushing to end the estate tax,

so you might say that the Bush White House wants to exempt the Lay family from paying any estate taxes.

[Poppyseedman]

4. supposedly dead?

Do you have any evidence to confirm he is not?

An official autopsy was performed.

[Rageneau]

5. Official autopsy? Like the one done on JFK, maybe?

As I understand, Kenny boy was autopsied the same day he died -- even though he died in Aspen, which is not exactly known as a pathologist paradise. That autopsy seemed mighty quick to me. So did the cremation.

Is Kenny boy dead? Maybe. But would someone with 45 million bucks who was facing life in prison consider faking his death, including his autopsy?

I sure would. I bet Kenny boy would, too.

Did he?

[OwnedByFerrets]

6. The reason I believe he might still be alive

is this: What did he have to lose by trying to fake his own death? Absolutely NOTHING! What would happen if it were found out? Its not like they could punish him anymore than he was already going to be punished. It just stinks of "Repug".

[LibDemAlways]

7. Kenny Boy is a loyal member of the extended

Bush Crime Family. One thing about the mob, they reward loyalty and protect their own. Chimp basically had three choices: 1.Let Kenny boy go the slammer, promise him a pardon at a later date, and hope to God he kept his mouth shut in the interim 2.Grant Kenny Boy an immediate pardon - in an election year with control of Congress on the line, probably not something Rove was anxious to do, or
3. Arrange for Kenny Boy to "die" while on vacation and announce that he was cremated as a cover for getting him out of the country and into a safe and lavish exile where he will spend his days counting his still considerable assets while twirling the little umbrella sticking out of his drink.

I vote for option #3.

Of course there's the remote possibility that Lay did die as was reported, but I think that's the least likely scenario.