Church of Satan
On Walpurgisnacht, April 30, 1966, Anton LaVey founded the "Satanic Church" (which he would later rename the "Church of Satan"). On October 29, 1997, Anton LaVey died of pulmonary edema. On November 7, 1997, Karla held a press conference to announce Anton's death. It was at this time that Blanche Barton and Karla LaVey announced that they would run the Church of Satan as co-High Priestesses. Several days later, Barton produced a hand written will claiming that LaVey had left all of his belongings, property, writings, and royalties, including the Church of Satan, to be put in a trust managed by Barton. Karla contested this will, which was later found to be invalid. A settlement was later reached in which Anton's belongings, intellectual property and royalties would be split among his three children, Karla, Zeena and Xerxes, and that Barton would receive the “corporation known as Church of Satan.”