FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OFFICE OF THE REGISTER OF WILLS
302-395-7800
Wills@nccde.org

PRESSER
Tuesday, December 20, 2:30 p.m.
City/County Bldg, 800 N. French St., Wilmington

PHOTO ATTACHED, WITH FREE USE.

Register of Wills Ciro Poppiti to Open Estate of Wicked Witch of the West

Public Comment Sought: Who Should Head Wicked Witch’s Estate?

Free Tickets to Wilmington Drama League’s production of Oz

Ciro Poppiti, III, the Register of Wills for New Castle County, requests public comment on a most unusual case.

A PRESS CONFERENCE will be held on Tuesday, December 20, at 2:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Louis L. Redding City/County Building. 800 N. French Street, Wilmington.

At the Presser, the Register is scheduled to open the estate of the Wicked Witch of the West. He will be presented the Wicked Witch’s Will by Dorothy Gale, Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and other characters from The Wizard of Oz, as produced locally by the Wilmington Drama League.

The Wicked Witch of the West named her sister as executrix under her Will, but the sister (the Wicked Witch of the East) died only a few days before, in a freak house-falling accident.

Under the law, Register Poppiti now decides who will oversee the Wicked Witch’s estate.

The Register is asking for the public’s thoughts on who should head the Wicked Witch’s estate.

Comments should be emailed to wills@nccde.org through the end of the year.

The Register will award free tickets to see The Wizard of Oz at the Wilmington Drama League for the best emails he receives.

The Last Will and Testament of the Wicked Witch is available here.

The Wizard of Oz production is directed by Kathy Buterbaugh and features Christina Wyatt as Dorothy. Performances run through December 30.

The Wicked Witch of the West has a considerable estate, which includes a claim on her sister’s ruby slippers. An ancillary estate is expected to be opened in the County of Oz as well. The Wicked Witch’s estate is also expected to be sued for various claims of attempted murder, false imprisonment, assault, battery, infliction of mental anguish, illegal burning, skywriting without a license, animal cruelty, conversion, and defamation.

Several petitions have been filed seeking appointment to oversee the estate: The trio of Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion have jointly filed, so has the Mayor of Munchkin City, as well as Nikko T. Monkey, the captain of the Wicked Witch’s flying squad. A petition was also filed by a representative of the Lollipop Guild, but the Register has already disqualified the petition by virtue of the petitioner’s age.

“A decision such as this gives me great pause,” said Register Poppiti. “But I am confident that my Office will handle the case with compassion and professionalism.”

For more information on the Wilmington Drama League production of The Wizard of Oz, visit wilmingtondramaleague.org.

PHOTO CAPTION: Register of Wills Ciro Poppiti, III receives the death certificate of the Wicked Witch of the West from Dorothy Gale (Christina Wyatt) and the Cowardly Lion (Zach Langrehr). The characters are part of the Wilmington Drama League’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Poppiti is scheduled to formally open the estate of the Wicked Witch and has sought public comment.

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