Was Jay Hickey of sound mind when he signed the deed to sell his farm?

Jason Moon says it cannot be proven either way but serious doubt is reasonable. A town employee and daughter Emily Hickey noticed memory problems by 2020. Patty called 911 on July 25, 2022, two months before the deed signing, saying Jay was suicidal. Jay's notarized signature on the deed is faint, missing the big J and middle initial F seen in six other samples. Patty insists he was of sound mind.

• The two recent photos Patty gave police show Jay blank-faced and slumped asleep with a long beard.
• Moon notes that dementia unfolds over years, so pinpointing when someone loses capacity is very hard.

▸In their words

“I don't see any way to definitively declare that Jay wasn't of sound mind to sell his Christmas tree farm.” Jason Moon · at 34:30 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Bear Brook (2026-10-28). Read the whole episode summary →

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