At issue in the trial is which document best reflects Franklin’s wishes before she died, at age 76, of pancreatic cancer. Two of her sons, Edward and Kecalf Franklin, assert that the document found in a spiral notebook under the couch cushions, which is dated March 2014 and substantially favors Kecalf, should be considered primary. Another son, Ted White Jr., contends that the papers found in the cabinet, dated June 2010, should take precedence. As a result, they will not be taking a side in the trial, said Joseph Buttiglieri, a lawyer for Clarence Franklin’s guardian. The total estate was estimated at about $18 million after she died, Mr. Smith said, though another appraisal suggested the figure might be lower.

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Persons: Edward, Kecalf Franklin, Ted White Jr, Clarence Franklin, Joseph Buttiglieri, Clarence Franklin’s, Franklin, Smith Locations: Michigan