Portsmith, New Hampshire Police Sergeant Aaron Goodwin has announced he will not attend a mediation session in connection with the $2.7 million estate left to him by the late Geraldine Webber in a will revised shortly before her death.

The will is being challenged by a group of people who had been named as beneficiaries in Webber’s 2009 will, but who were deleted or saw reduced inheritances in her 2012 will.  The group claims Webber was suffering from dementia at that time, and that Sergeant Goodwin knew this and took advantage of the fact.  Goodwin has denied the charge.

In addition to family members, local police and fire departments as well as several area hospitals were large beneficiaries under the original will and either removed or reduced in amount in the revised will. 

Goodwin is accused of having befriended Webber in 2010 after dementia had set in and driving her to "more than one attorney for the purpose of changing her estate plan." Three lawyers have already confirmed they were contacted about changing the will before attorney Gary Holmes did the work in 2012.