Fischer's remains ordered exhumed

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court of Iceland yesterday ruled in favor of exhuming the remains of the late Bobby Fischer to carry out a DNA test whereby the genetic samples from the late American icon would be matched with those of his Filipino girlfriend Marilyn Young and daughter Jinky Young.

Jinky’s lawyer, Samuel Estimo, said that the decision reversed an earlier ruling of the Reykjavik District Court, denying Jinky’s request for the disinterment which was opposed by Miyoko Watai, Fischer’s alleged wife and two nephews.

The dispute over the estate left by Fischer consisting of P140 million in cash, gold deposits and real estate properties in Iceland will finally be settled after the results of the DNA tests shall have been known.

The Iceland Supreme Court will issue shortly the time and procedure of the conduct of the exhumation.

Fischer died of renal failure in Iceland on Jan. 17, 2008. Estimo said the night before Fischer was calling Marilyn but the latter failed to receive his call, only to find out the following day that he had passed away and was hastily buried.

In December last year, Marilyn, Jinky, Estimo and GM Eugene Torre, a close friend of Fischer’s, went to Iceland and visited the former world champ’s grave.

 They hired an Icelandic lawyer, Thordur Bogason, and went to the same hospital where Fischer died and where blood samples of Marilyn and Jinky were taken for DNA testing. But there were no DNA specimens from Fischer at the hospital, prompting Estimo and Bogason to file a case for exhumation of the American’s remains.

Earlier, the Supreme Court of Iceland had ruled that the alleged marriage of Miyoko Watai to Fischer was null and void, thus leaving the battle over the estate to Jinky and Fischer’s nephews.