James Langley died in December 2006 of burns after gasoline on his clothes caught on fire.
Prosecutors say Mary Ann Langley threw gasoline on him and lit a match in revenge for his infidelity. Her attorney and supporters believe James Langley accidentally caused the fire during a daze brought on by his unregulated diabetes.
State law only prohibits convicted murderers from inheriting from their victims, not those convicted of manslaughter.
Mary Ann Langley is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 19 but is seeking a new trial, saying jurors ignored gaps in the prosecution's case.
Meanwhile, the question of who inherits James Langley's estate has caused more strife in a family already torn apart over the circumstances of his death.
"I don't think it is right. If you kill someone, why should you profit?" said Willie Langley, James' brother and executor of his estate. "I think if you pour gasoline on someone, you meant to kill them anyway, but (the prosecution) couldn't prove that."
Known as a "slayer statute," the law in Connecticut and in 42 other states prohibits murderers from inheriting from their victims' estates, according to a state Office of Legislative Research report.
State law says that when a defendant is convicted of killing another person without a murder conviction, such as in the case of Langley's manslaughter conviction, inheritance rights are determined under common law.
Stephen Seeger, Mary Ann Langley's defense and probate attorney, said the case may depend on whether anyone can prove she killed for the purpose of getting benefits.
"Under the statutory scheme in place in Connecticut, it is clear that Mrs. Langley can inherit," Seeger wrote in an e-mail Friday to The Advocate of Stamford.
"Generally, if the motive of an individual is to gain benefits by causing the death, the person can be disinherited. It is our position that no such evidence exists in this case," he wrote.
Willie Langley said his brother's $1.25 million estate includes two homes, a contractor's lot and other contracting equipment.
James Langley's brothers want much of the estate to go to his two adult sons, but Mary Ann Langley is listed as the sole beneficiary on her late husband's will.
James Langley's brothers and other family members say they are still deciding whether to contest his will, file a wrongful death suit against Mary Ann Langley or take another path.
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