A family feud is spiraling out of control over the $52 million fortune of Batman creator Bob Kane, drawing in his elderly widow, Elizabeth Sanders Kane, and a host of surprising characters.
The 82-year-old widow, who has made appearances in Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin, finds herself at the center of this real-life drama—one that involves a younger, manipulative companion, a concerned relative, and a conservatorship under growing scrutiny.
The Mysterious Role of Candelario Lomeli
Elizabeth’s life took a shocking turn in 2015 when her relatives began noticing troubling changes.
Sanders Kane, once close to her family, became reclusive, all because of a new companion—Candelario Lomeli, a much younger construction worker.
After hiring Lomeli to paint her Pacific Palisades home, the two developed a bond, and over time, Lomeli became a regular fixture in her life.
As Sanders Kane’s health began to decline, her cousins grew suspicious of Lomeli’s motives.
They feared he was taking advantage of the elderly widow, especially as rumors spread about Lomeli’s history with other older women across Los Angeles.
Concerned he was after her fortune, Sanders Kane’s relatives took action, filing a restraining order against him, which led to his quick departure from her life.
What they discovered next was even more concerning.
The widow was showing early signs of Alzheimer’s disease, prompting her family to place her under conservatorship to protect her from potential exploitation. But the drama didn’t stop there.
The Rise of the “New Villain”
Lori Murphy, one of Sanders Kane’s cousins, describes the conservator, Jeffrey Siegel, as a “new villain” in the saga.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Murphy likened Siegel to a “seagull,” swooping in to seize control of her cousin’s life and finances.
Despite Siegel denying all accusations, including those of elder abuse and financial mismanagement, Murphy remains adamant that he’s only in it for the money.
Murphy’s battle with Siegel has lasted almost a decade, and she now fears that when Sanders Kane passes, she will receive only a fraction of the fortune she believes she’s entitled to.
Her attempts to remove Siegel as conservator have been unsuccessful, with a judge ruling that her requests lacked merit.
Sanders Kane’s Health and the Fight for Control
Now, as Sanders Kane’s health deteriorates—she is bed-bound and in need of 24-hour care—Murphy believes that Siegel may be prolonging her cousin’s life for his own financial gain.
She argues that Sanders Kane should be surrounded by family, not kept in isolation, merely to maintain Siegel’s control over her vast wealth.
Murphy’s frustrations are compounded by the fact that she has not been allowed to visit Sanders Kane freely.
Siegel has often restricted her access, claiming it’s in the best interests of the widow, despite Murphy having been a close companion to her cousin for decades.
The Role of Dr. Edward Spievack
The conservatorship began after another cousin, Dr. Edward Spievack, a Florida-based orthopedic surgeon, raised concerns about Lomeli and Sanders Kane’s declining health.
Spievack worried that Lomeli was isolating Sanders Kane from her family, which prompted him to take legal action to ensure her safety.
According to court filings, Spievack discovered unsettling evidence, including the transfer of Sanders Kane’s assets to another bank and the removal of valuable Batman artwork from her home.
This only intensified his concerns that Lomeli was in the process of liquidating her assets.
Murphy’s Struggle to Visit Her Cousin
Murphy, who had been like a surrogate daughter to Sanders Kane after Bob’s death, has found herself locked in a fierce legal struggle over visitation rights.
She says that the last time she saw Sanders Kane, just before the conservatorship was put in place, her cousin appeared happy and healthy.
However, as time passed, she was denied access, despite claims from Sanders Kane herself that she wanted Murphy to become her full-time caregiver.
Murphy insists that Siegel has been threatened by her close relationship with Sanders Kane and has manipulated the situation to keep her out of the picture.
Siegel has accused Murphy of acting erratically during visits and even filed reports claiming she was abusing Sanders Kane, though these allegations were never substantiated.
The Battle Over Sanders Kane’s Estate
As Sanders Kane’s health continues to decline, the question of her estate looms large.
Murphy fears that Siegel’s latest legal actions, which involve creating a financial trust for the estate, are a way for him to seize control of her cousin’s money and assets.
Murphy believes this could be his final step before cutting off her family entirely.
While Murphy remains hopeful that she will receive a fair share of Sanders Kane’s estate, she’s been frustrated by the legal battles and Siegel’s tight grip on the situation.
With Sanders Kane’s death possibly imminent, Murphy says it’s painful to be kept away from her cousin during her final years.
“I told my family I wasn’t going to go after the money.
I just wanted to be with her,” Murphy said, expressing the emotional toll this ongoing fight has taken on her.
The next court hearing is scheduled for June 12, where Siegel’s petition to create a financial trust for Sanders Kane’s estate will be reviewed.
For Murphy and the rest of the family, it’s a race against time to see if they can regain control before it’s too late.