Son of Missing Atheist O’Hair Drops Bid to Control Estates

Faced with the possibility of having to pay for the investigation into his mother’s disappearance, the Christian son of atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair is giving up an attempt to become guardian of her estate.

“It is financially too costly and emotionally too costly,” William Murray said Friday.

Murray said he has instructed his attorney to drop the probate court cases he filed for guardianship of estates of his mother; her son, Jon Murray; and her granddaughter, Robin Murray.

The three have been missing since they failed to arrive in New York to picket the pope’s visit in September 1995.

O’Hair gained national prominence after winning a 1962 lawsuit that led to the U.S. Supreme Court banning school-sponsored prayer. William Murray was the child on whom the lawsuit was based, but he grew estranged from his family.

O’Hair’s organization, the American Atheist Inc., also wants control of the estates, partly in hopes of recovering about $625,000 of organization funds that disappeared about the same time the O’Hairs did.

A probate judge on Wednesday authorized the hiring of a private investigator to gather financial records. If Murray, a minister in the Washington area, had gained guardianship, he might have had to pay for the investigation.