By Scott Cohn | Monday, June 16, 2008 | 12:07 PM ET

The lurid case of hedge fund manager Seth Tobias, who died mysteriously in September, is finally nearing an end.

As CNBC.com first reported Friday, the two sides in the bitter battle over Tobias' estate have reached an out-of-court settlement. They informed the judge of the agreement this morning.

"Rumor has it you're going to give me a couple of weeks off," said Palm Beach County Judge Richard Oftedal, as court convened for what would have been a sensational, eight day trial.    READ MORE