[w1andsodidwe]

Perhaps he did it now, so that his family could inherit all of his estate instead of giving the majority to the federal government.

[EDINVA]

Actually, it looks like the selfish ba$tard left his family with THIS:

“...Davlin owed the federal government nearly $90,000 in unpaid income taxes and liens had been filed against his home..”

[KevinB]

Perhaps he did it now, so that his family could inherit all of his estate instead of giving the majority to the federal government.

That doesn't work. A decedent's estate must pay off its creditors to the extent the estate has the assets to do so and the creditors file their claims in a timely manner, usually within six months after death.