Transcripts For FBC Kennedy 20160511

Im jamie colby, and, today, im in encino, california. Will rogers once said, if there are no dogs in heaven, then when i die, i want to go where they go. But when the owners go first, especially the rich or eccentric ones, it can make for one strange inheritance. My name is tyson kilmer. Im an animal trainer. When one of my clients, sam simon, passed away in march of 2015, i inherited his dog, who is not exactly lassie, marmaduke, or any other lovably harmless pet youve seen on tv. Hi, kilmers. Im jamie. Im tyson kilmer. This is my wife, alison. Aliyah and tyler. How are you . Im great i heard your family has a living, breathing inheritance . Indeed, we do. We have a cane corso that used to belong to the late, great sam simon. Sam simon even if you dont recognize the name, you surely know his work as codeveloper, with Matt Groening, of that iconic and longrunning tv show, the simpsons. Sam was born in 1955 and grew up in beverly hills, just down the street from groucho marx. After graduating from stanford university, sam catapults his way up in the tv business, becoming a showrunner in 1978 for the hit series taxi, at the age of 23. Sam was the youngest showrunner in the history of television, when he was a showrunner on taxi. Mark thompson is an l. A. Radio host and a longtime friend of simons. To describe him as highly intelligent would be to understate it in the extreme. Sam works on Barney Miller and cheers, before teaming up with Matt Groening on the simpsons, which premieres on the fox network in 1989. Matt groening created these characters and this family, but the universe that the simpsons exist in the town, the Nuclear Power plant, mr. Burns, all of these different characters. Sam simon was the driving force behind that. But in 1993, after four trailblazing seasons, sam decides he wants a life outside of television. Before quitting, he negotiates a deal giving him continuous credit as an executive producer and a share of the shows annual profit, to the tune of 30 million a year. Sam, now twice divorced with no children, turns his energy to what becomes his calling in life saving animals, especially dogs. In 2002, at the cost of several million dollars, he creates this lavish, sprawling dog shelter in malibu. One of the neglected pooches that end up at sams shelter is a 6month old cane corso, also known as an italian mastiff, a breed some people refer to as a pit bull on steroids. The big canine is quickly deemed too aggressive to stay at the shelter. So sam takes him home and names him columbo, after the rumpled, trenchcoatwearing detective played by peter falk. He adored columbo, clearly. I think he was like an offspring almost. He was like a son. A son with a nasty disposition. Within months, columbo attacks Staff Members on the simon estate. There are as many as eight biting incidents. He even goes after sams buddy, howard stern. Ok, guys, go play [ dogs barking ] so, in 2011, sam contacts tyson kilmer, who has a reputation for working with dangerous breeds. His hollywood clientele includes rob lowe and mike tyson, but none impresses him like sam simon. The first meeting he had with sam, tyson came back and went, i met my hero. I met a guy thats doing way more than i am with animals. It was a bromance. Alison kilmer is tysons wife. Was it more than just about the dog . Oh, yeah. Tyson knew right away that sam was someone that was gonna mentor him. Still, tyson hesitates taking the columbo case. Why . I had stopped working with that breed a few years prior, just because of the volatility and the liability issues around them. Im sure that training aggressive dogs is dangerous. Where is columbo on the scale . If its a scale from 1 to 10, columbos a 12. Tyson says he makes an exception for columbo, when simon convinces him that health issues, like painful hip dysplasia, explain why hes such a bad dog. So, its not just behavioral. Its also medicine . Thats correct. Simons already paying for the best veterinary medicine money can buy. Among other things, columbo gets electromagnetic therapy and acupuncture. Acupuncture for a dog . I know were in los angeles, but really . This dog has endured so much pain in his legs that this is not some frivolous treatment. And the price tag for columbos firstclass care . Columbo costs approximately 138,000 a year. Thats a Fouryear College education. The reality is i didnt hire these folks. I was just asked to be present while these folks were working. And this work changed my perspective on this dog entirely. Ready to go. Tyson takes over the actual training, hooking up columbo with a partner to keep him in line. Hey, jamie. I brought my friends. I see that, tyson. I hope theyll be my friends. They will be your friends. So, kashas been the one to teach him how he should be responding and reacting in these encounters. Shes a pit bull. Shes a pit bull, yes, but shes very fabulously trained. You want to give it a try . Im willing to try. Perfect. Okay, so, lets start off by showing her a stay. Point to the ground. Tell her, okay, down. Okay, down, kasha. Good girl, kasha. And now, this is how she smiles. So, it looks like kind of scary. Oh you get a rub on the belly stay. Tyson says his hard work and sams money transform columbo into a loving and muchlessaggressive pet. So, the bottom line is you have rehabilitated this dog. I would say that this dog is living, at this point, within very acceptable margins for behavior and safety, as long as we continue to put the work in with him daily. Its late 2012, when, at 57, sam simon is diagnosed with colorectal cancer. The prognosis its terminal. How did sam tell you he was sick . [ voice breaking ] he was just sick. What happened . You know, he said, you know, tyson, im dying. Will sams death sentence also be the end for columbo . I was asked to make sure that columbo was taken off the property immediately. Immediately . Yes. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Was it roy rogers trigger. Mr. Ed. Or seabiscuit . Mr. Ed. Or seabiscuit . The answer when we return. Welcome to the world 2116, mr. Ed. Or syou can fly across the answtown in minutesrn. Or across the globe in under an hour. Whole communities are living on mars and solar satellites provide earth with unlimited clean power. In less than a century, boeing took the world from seaplanes to space planes, across the universe and beyond. And if you thought that was amazing, you just wait. Im in charge of it all. Business expenses, so ive been snapping photos of my receipts and keeping track of them in quickbooks. Now im on top of my expenses, and my bees. Best 68,000 employees ever. Thats how we own it. So, what stuffed horse fetched 266,000 at auction . Its a, trigger, who belonged to roy rogers. With the help of his new friend and dog trainer tyson kilmer and a year and a half of intense training sam simons rescued 140pound cane corso is under control. So, youve given columbo a stay of execution. Nobody else has been bitten, so the first part is amazing. Secondly, hes a happier soul. But, in 2012, sams diagnosis of stagefour cancer changes everything. After being told he has only months to live, the simpsons codeveloper launches a campaign to save as many animals as he can before hes gone. He brings tyson along for the ride. As his body began to fail him, he would be jumping on a learjet and flying off, so somebody had to watch out for him. Here was sam simon ready to do all of these things that seem unthinkable. He rescued all of these bears from roadside circuses. He shut down a mink farm. So, the money is kind of gone. You gave it all to peta. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I put in a trust that will be distributed, in perpetuity, to save the children and peta and other organizations. Fantastic. For two years, sam beats the clock, but his disease never relents. I got a call that he was in the hospital, and he had summoned for me to come to his bedside. He just said, im sorry to burden you with this, but will you please take my dog . Of course, i said yes. Tyson looked at me and said, i got to do this for him. If we dont, theyre gonna put columbo down. Tyson also makes sure columbo can stay by sam till the end. I was asked to train columbo to climb a set of steps beside sams bed so that columbo could get up there and sleep with him. Columbo was with sam right up until he passed. I was asked to be on the property when he passed to make sure that columbo was taken off the property immediately. Why immediately . Well, columbo couldnt be on the property with an influx of people coming in, just because it just wasnt safe. Arguably even less safe bringing this strange inheritance home to your wife and kids. I have to ask you about that. I met him. Hes fierce. You let them hang out with columbo . Supervised. Columbo cannot be unsupervised around my children or around anybody. When hes uncomfortable, hes grumpy. You dont want to be anywhere around him. And i dont want my kids to be anywhere around him. And stay. Your kids could get hurt. Youre willing to take the risk. We make all the precautions. We make sure theyre never alone with columbo. We make sure that they train him every day. And us, as a family we made a commitment to healing dogs and showing other families how to do it. A noble commitment, but whos going to pay for columbos ongoing 138,000ayear medical care . Was there some sort of verbal agreement between you and sam . Sam just basically said, listen, dont worry about this. Everythings taken care of. Ruhroh is it possible that sam made a promise to tyson he didnt intend to keep . Thats next. Heres another quiz question for you. Santas little helper, the simpsons family dog, is what breed . The answer in a moment. In new york state, we believe tomorrow starts today. All across the state, the economy is growing, with creative new business incentives, and the lowest taxes in decades, attracting the talent and companies of tomorrow. Like in buffalo, where the largest solar gigafactory in the western hemisphere will soon energize the world. And in syracuse, where imagination is in production. Let us help grow your companys tomorrow today at business. Ny. Gov e. T. Phone home. When you find something you love, you can never get enough of it. Change the way you experience tv with xfinity x1. Shoah, ha ha. Ew artist. Show me top male artist. My whole belieber fan group. Its not a competition, but if it was i won. Xfinity x1 lets you access the greatest library of Billboard Music awards moments, simply by using your voice. The Billboard Music awards, live sunday may 22nd, 8 5 pacific, only on abc. So, santas little helper, the simpsons family dog, is what breed . The answer is b, a greyhound homer rescues from the dog track in the simpsons first episode. [ dog growls ] the cane corso, or italian mastiff, is an aggressive breed, sometimes called a pit bull on steroids. Columbo, a 140pounder who belonged to simpsons codeveloper sam simon, was actually deemed too vicious for simons dogrescue shelter. Hollywood dog trainer tyson kilmer says one of simons last requests was that he take columbo when simon died. One thing that sam said is that, every animals life has value. Tyson assumes simons multibilliondollar trust will pay for columbos costly medical treatments, including acupuncture and electromagnetic therapy. Was there some sort of verbal agreement between you and sam . Sam took care of everything while he was alive. When sam said, will you take columbo . , i didnt say, hey, how much, buddy . I just said, of course. Ill take care of it. Then, in june 2015, three months after sams death, tyson learns that those vets and therapists will no longer be paid and all those hollywoodstyle treatments will be discontinued. Tyson reaches out to the executor of the simon trust. Now, im a dog lover dont get me wrong but tell me how much you were asking, moneywise, to take care of columbo in the style sam had i didnt ask for money. I was asking for them to send the vets over. I wasnt asking for money. Come on, columbo. Either way, tyson says hes told theres no money earmarked for columbo. I first thought, it has to be a misunderstanding, but, at some point, youd think, even if that were the case, they would have an allegiance to what sam would have wanted. Radio host Mark Thompson was a longtime friend of simons. Is it possible that sam made a promise to tyson he didnt intend to keep . I think the answer is of course not, of course not. Sam would have wanted money to go for the continued care of columbo. The executor of simons trust doesnt return our phone calls but has ripped tyson in the media. The trustee issued a statement that we got our hands on, and it starts with, its truly sad that someone would try to take advantage of sams generosity to unjustly enrich themselves at the expense of other causes. And im just an outsider, but the same money that sam was paying for columbo, when sam was alive, is all tyson is asking for. And its about his therapy, not a dollar more. I think thats a reasonable request. How much is it costing you a month, besides your daily time, to take care of columbo . It costs me approximately 9,000, 9,500 a month to take care of him. Tyson has custody of a dog that is considered very dangerous. And we have a trustee unwilling to disperse money for the dogs care. End of case . If theyre willing to go to court, tyson might be able to assert rights on columbos behalf and get the court to construe the trust. Underscore might, says ken kossoff, an l. A. Lawyer specializing in pet inheritances. He says its telling simon apparently did not set up a trust fund to pay for columbos care, which is allowed under california law. You want your trust or any other document to be very clear that who was ever in charge of the money needs to support the pet. Case in point kens client in palmdale, california, a widow who wanted to provide for her faithful companions when she was gone. Hi, yvonne. Im jamie. Jamie, hi. How are you . Nice to meet you. I heard youre the bird lady. I am that. Would you like to meet my kids . I would like to meet your kids. Come on. Oh, thank you. Look at all these guys. Oh, hello there. Whos that . He says, im bogie bird. And he says, im the senior bird here. Bogie is a 34 yearold double yellowhead amazon parrot. While hes older than yvonnes two cockatiels, hes still a youngin among the parrot breed, who can easily live for 60 years. When yvonne first adopts bogie from a bird sanctuary, in 2013, she worries about making a commitment to a pet that could very well outlive her. At my age, i thought, how am i gonna make this work out . These guys can live to be 60 years old. Im not rich. So, will bogie become a strange inheritance . Yvonne is worried that her cherished parrot will get discarded, like columbo. And what about columbo . It must be costing you a fortune. Columbos not cheap, and we never, ever, ever, in a million years, thought wed be here. And . How can the kilmers get the funds they say they need for his care . Good boy you know, i agreed to take sam simons dog. I didnt agree to take on a billiondollar estate. Thats next. Whats your strange inheritance story . Wed love to tell it. Send me an email or go to our website, strangeinheritance. Com. My School Reunions coming fast. Could be bad. Could be a blast. Cant find a single thing to wear. Will they be looking at my hair . Wont be the same without you bro. When its go, go to choicehotels. Com. The site with the right room, rewards and savings up to 20 when you book direct. Book now at choicehotels. Com listerine® kills 99 of bad breath germs. This is 100 useful for a 100 fresh mouth. Whats it like to not feel 100 fresh . We dont know. We swish listerine®. As do listerine® users. The very people we studied in the study of bold. People who are statistically more likely to stand up to a bully. Do a yoga handstand. And be in a magicians act. Listerine® kills 99 of bad breath germs so you can feel 100 in life. Bring out the bold™. Now back to strange inheritance. Yvonne eubanks loves her parrot, bogie, who may very well outlive her. Will bogie get the special care he needs when shes gone . She turns to ken kossoff, whos been creating trusts in los angeles for over 30 years. A lot of pet owners do not know that they could plan their estate to include their pets. Yvonne doesnt just want to make sure her pets always have a caring home. She wants to make sure they have her home. The trust provides, immediately, for a caregiver to come in, and this is someone who is familiar with my birds. They will live here in the house, basically rentfree, and theyd take care of the birds. I will take care of the utilities and all on the house. That could theoretically last for decades. E will watch this and theyll say, okay, youre the bird lady. yeah. And youve left this beautiful home to birds. Yes. I dont care how whacky they think i am. I just want to protect these guys. Apparently, sam simon wasnt so clear or emphatic about columbo, and so the executors of simpsons codeveloper sam simons billiondollar trust reportedly have no intention of providing a penny for his care. Where does that leave animal trainer tyson kilmer, to whom sam bequeathed the 140pound mastiff . Ive never had much interest in anything outside of just seeing columbo cared for. I really dont want to be in court over the next five, six years. Id far rather raise funds for him and just move on with my life. Sam was his mentor and hero. And, sometimes, you dont write the script on how its gonna come out, but were doing the best we can and were gonna handle it. I wanted to put a call into you to see if i could rely on some support from you guys. Today, tyson hopes to raise enough funds through a network of friends and supporters to finance columbos care. You made a promise. Absolutely. Yeah. Thats a big promise. Im gonna keep that promise. You know, sam was one of he was a mentor to me. He was one of my best friends. Im gonna honor my word to my friend. Bogie or columbo can only dream of the fortune of the socalled worlds richest pet, a German Shepherd whos really rolling in the dough. Turns out that when a german countess named Carlotta Liebenstein died, in 1992, she left a 124 million trust for her trusty pooch, gunther iii. Well, when gunther iii met an untimely death, carlottas riches passed to gunthers son, gunther iv, and by then, the trust was worth 372 million and included a villa in the bahamas and a mansion once owned by madonna. And, at that rate, gunther v could be the first canine billionaire. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance. Thanks so much for watching. And remember, you cant take it with you. A letter arrives in the mail with news of a strange and lucrative inheritance. The letter goes on to say, if i got a letter like this, i would think it to be a scam. And i was like, why are we named . Somebodys scamming us. So, is it a scam . I said, you know, ray, theres a fine between genius and idiot. Hed say, yeah, and he said, i cross that two or three times a day. Who is this mysterious benefactor . He was a hidden man. He didnt have the family life. He didnt have a friend to talk to. He really, truly was a fan. But an inheritance . Thats a strange inheritance and a stranger story still. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] im jamie colby, and today im on old route 66 in central illinois. Im heading to the small farming town of lincoln, where the strangest of inheritance stories unfolded. On a monday morning in july 2012, farmer bob pharis heads out to mow hay on some land he leases from an old friend named ray fulk. And it was very uncommon for ray not to come out and talk to me. And then i smelled something. I happened to look over and the bin door was open and that was not a good sign. I just went over there, and then i found him. And then i called 911 and. The county coroner, acting on info from a neighbor, contacts attorney don behle to inform him his 71year old client has died of heart failure. Behle cannot even remember fulk. I hadnt seen him in 15 years, and so i had no idea who theyre talking about. How strange is it that were here right now talking to you about this guy you barely remember . [ laughs ] its very strange. Don checks his files and realizes he indeed worked with someone named ray fulk back in 1997. He wanted me to change his will and he brought it in to me and i was named as the executor. But all i had was a copy. It was 15 years later. He could have changed his will. Don drives out to rays farmhouse to find the original will. There he discovers an unsettling scene. It was absolutely covered with cobwebs and would remind you of a show where youd have dracula involved. I mean, my house might sometimes be untidy. Are we talking about more than that . Were talking about a hoarder show. The whole place reeked. Somehow, the lawyer locates ray fulks will. It directs 5,000 dollars to a chicago animal shelter, but the next part is a puzzle. I give and bequeath all my tangible personal property to my friends, kevin m. Brophy of san fernando, california, and peter barton of valley stream, long island, new york. Who are these guys . And how does don find them . That will take more digging digging through the debris. In rays room, he had pictures of wolves torn out of magazines and put on the wall. I had no idea how it all fit together at that point in time. Hell start to fit it all together soon. Among rays many diaries written in neat cursive, don finds a scrapbook with a big clue. It said lucan. I opened it up, and it had kevins picture in there. Lucan was a tv Series Starring kevin brophy as a boy raised by wolves. It was cancelled after just 12 episodes in 1978, when ray fulk was 37 years old. It was pretty clear to me that show meant something to ray and he identified with it. Don digs further and discovers the other man in the will peter barton also an actor. Why fulk named him, however, is a bigger riddle. From to 1988 to 92, barton played dr. Scott grainger in the soap opera the young and the restless. How am i ever gonna be able to thank you . Before that, he starred in a shortlived tv series called the powers of matthew star. Two basically unknown actors that ray had a fondness for. Did you have any idea how much they were going to inherit . The inheritance consisted of approximately 165 acres, some c. D. S that were at the bank, and the cash that i found around the house. How much is it all worth . Dons not exactly sure, but figures hundreds of thousands of dollars easy, maybe even 1 million or more. So, the dutiful attorney writes letters to the two retired actors, informing them of their very strange inheritance. He has named you, as his friends, beneficiaries of his estate. I was stunned. I was shocked. I took the other side of it completely, going, kevin, if its too good to be true, it probably is. Thats next. But first, our strange inheritance quiz question. Which strange personality willed that a seance be held for him every year . Was it master of the macabre edgar allan poe, escape artist harry houdini, or horrorfilm icon Vincent Price . The answer in a moment. I built my business with passion. But i keep it growing by making every dollar count. Thats why i have the spark cash card from capital one. I earn unlimited 2 cash back on everything i buy for my studio. And that unlimited 2 cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business. Thats huge for my bottom line. Whats in your wallet . So, which strange personality willed an annual seance be held for him . Its b, harry houdini, who died in 1926. He wanted to reveal himself to his wife once a year. Lets reset. In august 2012, two former actors kevin brophy and peter barton each receive a letter informing them they are the coinheritors of the estate of someone named ray fulk. Ray had never met either of them. Leaving a huge amount of money to someone youve never met sounds more than eccentric, which leads me to a question for rays attorney don behle. It says, as every will does, ray fulk, of lincoln, illinois, being of sound and disposing mind and memory. Was he . Yes. He knew what he owned. He may have been odd, but he was of sound mind. My next stop is Southern California to meet kevin brophy. My name is kevin brophy, and in 2012, i received a letter that was really about to change my life. Its here in the land of sun, surf, and palm trees kevin started his career more than 30 years ago. This is an episode of lucan. He was a boy raised by wolves. That was the premise of the pilot, and the pilot went to 12 episodes over a twoyear period. As so many actors will say, it was a good ride while it lasted. It didnt last for you. My window was in my 20s, and i had my program and a great career. Then the phone stops ringing. When the phone stops ringing, kevin finds a new line of work. He takes a job as a doorman in 1983 at the posh hotel belair and keeps it for the next 27 years. Then the hotel closed and they went for remodeling and i was praying for a job and then the letter [chuckles] i refer to it as the letter comes. This is the original letter from the attorney saying, you dont know me, but i represent ray e. Fulk. He was a hermit and a hoarder and a farmer here in illinois. And don behle, who wrote the letter, goes on to say, if i got a letter like this, i would think it to be a scam. Turns out kevin once worked with the second beneficiary in ray fulks will fellow actor peter barton. I did a movie in 1980 called hell night, kind of a campy horror story, but became friends with most of the cast members, including peter. Peter now lives in upstate new york. So, you really dont hear much about kevin until you find out somebody died and youre the only two friends he names in his will. From the moment i opened that up and i saw kevins name, i was like, somebodys scamming us. The two men discuss what to do next. I said, peter, i believe it. I believe it, and im going with it for gusto. I took the other side of it completely, going, kevin, if its too good to be true, it probably is. But peter agrees to make the 900mile trip to lincoln, illinois, to find out for both of them. Peters home video begins to unravel the mystery. Behind the silos, ray had a grave site with all his dogs. Look at this, all the pet cemetery. Queenie, 32177. 101587. 82, 80, 94. Buddy, fred, fad. Wow. A lot of dogs. The pet cemetery abuts 167 acres of prime soil, tillable for corn and soybean. Wow. Thats a lot of farmland out there. All this a gift from a man they never met. So, who was this guy . And why would he do this . Dennis and nitsie gleason live a stones throw away from ray fulk. How would you describe, in a word, ray . Weird. Id say weird, goofy. Eccentric. Whoa. Eccentric maybe for good reason. The neighbors explain that ray eugene fulk, born in 1941, was an only child and an outcast at school, bullied by classmates and often by his own mother. His mother was real mean. I think he got along with his father more, but ray would tell me these Different Things that his mother would do to him. For example . Well, shed leave him out of the house. He couldnt come in the house for a while. Hed have to stay outside. He said hed go sleep with the puppies. Mmhmm. Never really had a friend. The only persons he trusted was, you know, his dogs and me and bob pharis. Bob had known ray since they were teenagers. He probably had some type of a learning disability. And in todays education, they would have caught that, but they just didnt have that type of thing back there in the 50s. So, i think ray fell through the cracks. When ray graduates from high school in 1958, he joins the army. He loves it, bob says, but his mother lobbies to get him an Early Release to help on the farm. Its too bad cause i think ray would have been better off if he would have remained in the army and away from mom and probably his life would have turned out a whole lot differently. In the diaries he kept for decades, ray compares himself to a wolf, the most maligned, least understood animal, he writes, that shares my same distrust of humanity. You know, he was very intelligent, and he and i would even joke about it. I said, you know, ray, theres a fine line between genius and idiot. Hed say, yeah, and he said, i cross that two or three times a day. In 1981, rays mother dies. For the next 15 years, ray shares the farmhouse with his dad. In the late 1990s, his father is in poor health and doesnt have much time left. Ray confides in his friend bob that he suspects some of his cousins are after the farm and his dads investments. Ray fears theyre trying to have him declared mentally incompetent to take control of his fathers estate. He was telling me about it, and i said, ray, you need an attorney. Rays been using his fathers attorney, but he now suspects that lawyer is in cahoots with his cousins and scheming against him. And thats when i mentioned don behle. And he told me about his dad and the problems he was having with cousins wanting to take over the control and care of his father. Did ray say why he wanted his family to not benefit from the estate . What did they do to him . I think the fact that any relative went to an attorney to take away his father was the act that he thought was treacherous. Don assures ray hell help. Then in 1997, rays father dies. So ray makes one more trip to lincoln to amend his will and name don behle as his executor. He no longer wanted the executor that he had previously named because those were the attorneys that had irritated him by talking to his other family members. Were you surprised . It seemed to me that, even though ray was odd, he knew his relatives, didnt like them. But don knows full well thats not always the end of it, especially in situations like this, where a hermit, described as weird, eccentric, and goofy, bequeaths a family fortune to a couple of complete strangers. But you have to give relatives a chance to come forward, right . Well, yeah. I mean, the relatives have the opportunity to contest a will. They have six months to do that. Howd that go . Thats next and more. Do you ever feel guilty taking an inheritance from a stranger . Heres another quiz question for you. Which of these Pampered Pets was willed the largest inheritance . Fashion designer Alexander Mcqueens bull terriers, king of pop Michael Jacksons chimp, or realestate mogul Leona Helmsleys maltese . The answer in a moment. Savings whiplash. You know, from Car Insurance companies shouting, save 500 bucks over here. No, save 300 bucks over here. Wait, save 400 bucks right here. With so many places offering so much buck saving, where do you start . Well, esurance was born online, raised by technology, and majors in efficiency. So, theyre actually built to save you money, and when they save, you save. Thats auto and Home Insurance for the modern world. Esurance, an allstate company. Click or call. So, which pampered pet received the largest inheritance . Its c. Leona helmsley left her beloved maltese trouble a 12million trust in 2007. [ dog barks ] two former actors get the surprise of a lifetime in 2012 when ray fulk, a man theyve never met, leaves them a large inheritance. But its no done deal yet. Rays relatives have six months to challenge the will, and ray long suspected that some of them pegged him as mentally incompetent. You dont think of it as taking it away from other relatives of his . Absolutely not because rays story is a heartbreaking story caused by pain and loneliness. So, for ray to have looked on myself and peter with this incredible gift, this is doing exactly what ray wanted. Exhibit a, kevin brophy says rays scrapbook, dedicated to his starring role in lucan. These are the chronicles that follow the young wolf man in the world of man in his quest to find his roots. And its all handputtogether. And the picture that i sent him theres the photograph. And he wrote, this scrapbook would not be complete without a corresponding section devoted to kevin brophy. He really, truly was a fan. Maybe, but kevin admits this is the stuff restraining orders are made of. You know, it could have come back as a stalking, horrible nightmare, but ray was just very, very introverted and loved television. And thank goodness for lucan. But an inheritance . Thats a strange inheritance and a stranger story still. Okay, with the scrapbooks, the wolf pictures, the dog cemetery, you get ray fulks affinity for lucan. But whats up with the soapopera doc . Peter barton finds the answer in rays letters. I started reading these letters, and im like, wow. This guy is talking about astral projecting. Hes talking about things that my character did. Not bartons young and the restless character, but in his role in the powers of matthew star, a 1982 series about an alien with supernatural abilities. Its like he was searching and he saw matthew star and he went, oh, my god, you know . A little crazy . I think he was a really smart guy who kind of built a cage around himself and then couldnt get out. Thats what i wanted when i was doing matthew star. I wanted to affect people like ray. Did you ask don, the lawyer, if ray had any other family that he might have given it to . For myself, it never really crossed my mind. You can leave anything to anyone, but you have to give relatives a chance to come forward, right . Well, yeah. I mean, the relatives have the opportunity to contest a will. They have six months to do that. Howd that go . Nobody contested it. So kevin brophy and peter barton are now the proud owners of 167 acres of corn and soybean fields. But is that the end of this strange inheritance story . Not by a country mile. Two hollywood characters come to town that ray never mentioned, and theyre here to leave with cash. We were just a little leery about who they were that was getting the money. And exactly how much money . Thats coming up, plus this. Did ray save your life . Ray indeed saved my life. Listerine® kills 99 of bad breath germs for a 100 fresh mouth. With breath so fresh, its no wonder listerine® users feel ready enough to be in a magicians act. Kill 99 of bad breath germs. Feel 100 in life. Bring out the bold™ now back to strange inheritance. A fan leaves two former actors kevin brophy of l. A. And peter barton of new york a surprise inheritance that includes 167 acres of farmland in central illinois. What do you say to yourself . What the heck am i gonna do with this . Can i sell it . Could you sell it . Peter had kind of thought of being a farmer there in illinois. But, no, i cant do winters, and i cant do farming. So the heirs ask rays attorney, don behle, to sell it and see what they get. Plenty of locals want rays fertile land. The highest bid 800,000. Add in another 500,000 in cash and stocks, and the entire estate is worth 1. 3 million. In lincoln after the sale, peter and kevin headline a fundraiser in rays name for a local humane society. Ray had a very strange upbringing and an odd life, but he loved his dogs. He loved his dogs probably more than himself. Two hollywood characters come to town that ray never mentioned, and theyre here to leave with cash. We were just a little leery about who they were that was getting the money, but after meeting them, they were two downtoearth, good people that nitsie and i we just loved them to pieces. How did the money change your life . Thats been a godsend because when life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door. One year later, i was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. This was a devastating diagnostic for me in this world of healthcare where a doctor visit could be 200. It has certainly helped alleviate any concern i have for myself and my other extended family. Did ray save your life . Ray indeed saved my life. Today kevin is still working as a doorman. His new door has another swanky address. I am on rodeo drive. I have an incredible suit i get to wear. Thank you. I have met so many people, im thinking of running for the mayor of beverly hills. So, the acting didnt make you rich. Did the inheritance make you rich . The inheritance gave me confidence that im safe. Maybe i want to say to ray, thank you, ray. You made me safe. Peter is currently working on a screenplay about this entire strange inheritance story. And who knows . It may get these two retired actors back into pictures, two lives touched forever by a man theyd never met. Im jamie colby for strange inheritance. Thanks so much for watching. And remember you cant take it with you. Do you have a strange inheritance story youd like to share with us . Wed love to hear it. Send me an email or go to our website strangeinheritance. Com announcer the following is a paid presentation for the nutri ninja ninja blender duo featuring the latest autoiq technology, brought to you by europro. Ninja turn on your life. I feel vibrant. Amazing. Fantastic. Incredible. Whoo i feel focused. I feel energetic. And i feel more alive than i have in a long time. Announcer why are all these people so excited . I have that energy that i had so long ago. I just feel so much more focused. I absolutely feel like a new person. Announcer are you ready to finally turn on your life . 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