Thanks for the Chappell info -- very helpful !
Halifax Chancery records have been sent from the courthouse to Richmond, but do not yet appear on the Library of Virginia website. Therefore, they are in "limbo," you might say, as far as gleaning any info from them goes. However, before they began their trek, with the help of Lawrence Martin, I examined of all chancery files with the name JETER involved, and found no reference to an intestate cause.
You are assuming there really is a third wife, which I highly doubt. My great-grandfather Thomas E. Jeter, Jr., was left an orphan at the death of his father (his mother having died the previous year). He, as the only surviving child, would have inherited anything left after the estate sale, with no contest from anyone else.
Halifax Will Bk 29, pp. 248-254, Aug 27, 1866 -- Account of sales of property belonging to the estate of Thomas E. Jeter, dec’d, made Aug 6, 1862, and Nov 6, 1862, Dec 23, 1862, by William M. Howerton, sheriff; recorded Aug 27, 1866
Halifax Will Bk 29, p. 272, Sep 1866 -- Account of Philip Howerton, as guardian of Thomas E. Jeter, Jr.; items begin Jan 17, 1863 and ended Aug 1, 1866
Halifax Will Bk 29, pp. 279-281, Sep 24, 1866 -- Account of William M. Howerton, sheriff and administration of estate of Thomas E. Jeter, dec’d; Howerton had died; account settled to Aug 1, 1866; estate found to be indebted to the adm [apparently, some buyers had not yet paid]
Halifax Will Bk 29, p. 311, Dec 1866 -- estate of Thomas E. Jeter, dec’d, with Samuel P. Watkins, dbn; settled to Feb 1, 1866
Halifax Bond Bk 1, p. 85, Aug 27, 1866 -- J. B. Hemphill appointed guardian of Thomas E. Jeter, Jr., orphan of Thomas E. Jeter, dec'd