CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., April 4 (UPI) -- The parents of a woman who died of a drug overdose at a beer baron's Missouri mansion have been allowed to join a lawsuit filed by her ex-husband.
The Missouri Supreme Court refused Tuesday to hear August Busch IV's appeal of the decision, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Adrienne Martin died at Busch's home in Huntleigh in December 2010. A medical examiner reported she was killed by an accidental overdose of oxycodone but he also found cocaine in her blood and signs on her body of regular cocaine use, the newspaper said.
Dr. Kevin Martin of Cape Girardeau sued Busch on behalf of his 9-year-old son. His lawyers and Busch's had agreed to a tentative $1.5 million settlement.
An appeals court decision makes Martin's parents, Christine Trampler of Ozark, Mo., and George Eby of Springfield, Mo., parties to the case. That gives them a possible share in the settlement, some say in whether it is accepted and the right to see discovery and to subpoena witnesses, the Post-Dispatch said.
Busch, 47, is descended from Eberhard Anheuser and Adolphus Busch, founders of the Anheuser-Busch brewing company. He was chief executive officer of the company until it was acquired by InBev in 2008.
