♪ >> a farmer with an unusual hobby hands down a humongous collection to his family. >> anybody that collects 150 tractors -- doesn't that make you eccentric? ♪ >> he spent a lifetime, and a pretty penny, amassing it. >> definitely a method to grandpa's madness. >> is it a treasure trove of valuable americana? >> it was almost out of control maybe you would say. >> or a herd of white elephants? >> dad, are you ever gonna stop? you know, for one thing, you're running out of room. where are you going to put them all? [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] ♪ >> i'm jamie colby, and i'm just

pulling into le mars, iowa. it's a short distance from sioux city. i'm about to meet a family that's farmed this land for generations and learn about a very strange inheritance. ♪ >> my name is roma lancaster. after my dad passed away, we knew that there would be a lot of things that would have to be sorted out and gone through on the farm. >> roma's father, dave hawkins, has deep roots in this part of iowa, going back more than a century. >> my father's ancestors immigrated to the united states in late 1800s. they moved westward with the expansion of the railroad, and my grandfather, my dad's father, albert hawkins, farmed just south of here, about a mile. >> dave hawkins grew up hearing stories of his ancestors plowing this land behind a team of

horses. as a young farmer in the 1950s, just out of school, dave spots a tractor rusting in the weeds. it sparks his imagination. >> the 1920 9d is the tractor that belonged to my grandfather. that's what got my dad into the collecting again was when he restored that tractor that had originally belonged to his father. >> as his farm grows to over 500 acres of corn and soybeans, and his family prospers, hawkins seeks out the next vintage tractor to buy and restore. then the next and the next, including this one, a minneapolis-moline that hawkins bought, restored, and donated to the plymouth county museum. >> how old would this one be? >> it's a 1944 model. >> incredible. >> i meet bruce brock at the museum. a fellow history buff, he and dave hawkins went way back. >> i was proud to be his

friend. he was a good businessman, he was a good father, a good husband, a great neighbor, and a good community guy. >> i understand coin collecting and car collecting, but tractors, bruce -- tractors? what was he thinking? >> these are a representation of the past that farmers and farm families and farm relations really enjoy looking at because it brings back memories. >> tractors are part of iowa's history. in 1892, john froelich invented the practical gas-powered tractor in a tiny village about 300 miles east of here. the mechanization of farming helps america become an agricultural giant. >> alex, are you in here? >> there he is. >> and even though none of dave's four children tills the soil like he did, he does share his passion for tractors with his grandson, alex. >> i can remember as young as 3 or 4 years old, riding in the combine with my grandpa and taking naps on the floor, and if

we weren't doing that, we were driving up and down the road looking for other tractors to work on and fix up in the shop. >> pretty soon, dave's sheds are filled with old tractors in various states of repair -- more t >> did mom ever say, "no more tractors"? >> no, not really, but i remember dad called the tractors his "savings account," you know, to justify it. through the years, as things became tight in the sheds, and, you know, there was just kind of a joking question about "dad, are you ever gonna stop?" >> the answer is, no, he's not going to stop. family vacations become cross-country tractor hunts. ♪ >> so would you say that he was eccentric? >> he was a little crazy sometimes, but he was definitely a savvy businessman. >> over the years, grandpa probably put $100,000, probably not over a quarter of $1 million million into his collection. >> but it wasn't about

the money. it was a passion, it was a love, and it was just something he wanted to do. he didn't really get into the collecting real heavily until he had the money to help us go to college and make sure we got the education that we wanted. >> born of hardy iowa farmer stock, dave seems as indestructible as those tractors. everybody assumes he'll plow on forever. then, all of a sudden, in the summer of 2011, his 73-year-old body grinds to a halt. >> dad was a man who never complained. he was only sick for a few days. we did not even know what was wrong with him. the autopsy results came back that we found out that he had cancer. [ voice breaking ] i'm sad because my dad's gone. sorry. >> it was more than just a shock. it was a life-changing blow.

>> he went to the same church from the day he was born until the day he died. he was baptized and had his funeral in the same small country church. it was very important to him that we all knew that legacy and continued that on, also. >> at first, life on the farm continues as before. dave's son-in-law, alex's dad, todd popken, farms the acreage. alex tends the tractors. but soon, the loss of their patriarch sends ripples of change through the family. dave's widow, judy, moves into town. >> did that surprise you? >> no. mom had said for 10 years, "if something happens to you first, i do not want to stay out here by myself." >> dave's absence creates a crisis, sparking strong disagreement within the family. should they hang on to dave's beloved collection or sell it and close out his

"savings account"? >> at the time of his death, how prepared was he for you to take on this huge obligation? >> i wish we would have even had just a couple days to ask him some questions that would have helped us make sure we made the decisions that were how he wished for them to be made. and obviously the more people involved, the harder that decision becomes. you have to know, there were some bumpy roads that we traveled there. >> that's next. >> and now for our "strange inheritance" quiz question... the answer when we return. [ bird caws ] how's it going? -hi. today we're gonna be comparing the roll-formed steel bed of the chevy silverado to the aluminum bed of this competitor's truck. awesome.

let's see how the aluminum bed of this truck held up. wooooow!! -holy moly. that's a good size puncture. you hear 'aluminum' now you're gonna go 'ew'. let's check out the silverado steel bed. wow. you have a couple of dents. i'd expect more dents. make a strong decision. find your tag and get 15% below msrp on select 2017 silverado 1500 crew cabs in stock. find new roads at your local chevy dealer. as after a dvt blood clot,ital i sure had a lot to think about. what about the people i care about? ...including this little girl. and what if this happened again? i was given warfarin in the hospital, but wondered, was this the best treatment for me? so i asked my doctor. and he recommended eliquis. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots and reduces the risk of them happening again. yes, eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots.

eliquis also had significantly less major bleeding than the standard treatment. both made me turn around my thinking. don't stop eliquis unless your doctor tells you to. eliquis can cause serious and in rare cases fatal bleeding. don't take eliquis if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. if you had a spinal injection while on eliquis call your doctor right away if you have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. while taking eliquis, you may bruise more easily ...and it may take longer than usual for bleeding to stop. seek immediate medical care for sudden signs of bleeding, like unusual bruising. eliquis may increase your bleeding risk if you take certain medicines. tell your doctor about all planned medical or dental procedures. eliquis treats dvt and pe blood clots. plus had less major bleeding. both made eliquis the right treatment for me. ask your doctor if switching to eliquis is right for you.

[ bird caws ] >> now the answer to our "strange inheritance" quiz question...

it's "b," lamborghini. >> the untimely death of iowa farmer dave hawkins in 2011 leaves his family in a state of upheaval. his widow, judy, moves into town, leaving the homestead empty for the first time in generations. dave's grandson, alex, a 23-year-old newlywed, and his wife, maria, buy the house and move in... a bold move by the young man, who has the best shot of keeping the hawkins' tradition of family farming alive. alex says his grandma made the house deal easy for the first-time buyer. now, isn't that what grandma's are for? >> so, did she give you a good deal? >> yeah. a family deal. >> but the family hasn't even started to discuss what to do with the strange inheritance -- dave hawkins' collection of rare

and antique tractors. >> we didn't even talk about it until at least a year or almost a year had passed. i don't think it was easy for anyone. and we did go through that where, you know, we weren't all agreeing. the number-one toughest decision was, can we keep the collection or do we have to sell part of it? financially and time-wise, there was nobody that could do what dad had done. >> did he tell you before he passed? >> we had talked about it, but never made a decision, or he had never made a decision about what he wanted to do. >> finally, dave's widow, judy, asks the kids to come to a decision. it's not easy. >> how do you come to an agreement when each party has a different idea of what is right or wrong? to please five parties is a tough, tough decision to have to come to grips with.

>> amid this family discord, tammy's son, alex, spends nights and weekends keeping his grandpa's precious tractors from deteriorating. >> there's a lot of expenses to keep them -- insurance, upkeep, batteries, tires, and to keep the collection and not upkeep it, in my opinion, was not an option. >> dave hawkins' pride and joy is becoming a sore point. >> i was at a full-time job, as i was just graduated from college, just got married, and maybe some of them didn't realize all the time and work and money that it was gonna take to keep those tractors up. >> alex thinks that could add up to more than $10,000 a year. >> there just is too much of a financial and time commitment that none of us were able to exercise, and that we didn't expect alex to exercise, and we made the decision then

at that point to sell the items. ♪ >> the family decides the best way to maximize the collection's value is through that great american country tradition -- the open-call auction. and they keep it local by hiring dad's old friend bruce brock, who's also an auctioneer. >> they wanted their father and their husband represented in a fashion that would make him proud because i know that he made them proud, and i think that was important. >> what did the family tell you about how much they wanted to generate from the sale? >> they didn't really tell us anything. they just trusted us to bring them home as many net dollars as we could. >> but it's not quite that simple for the hawkins heirs, who made a curious discovery after their father died, one that could affect their bottom line and their father's legacy. from beyond the grave,

dave hawkins is guiding his family on how to handle their strange inheritance. that's next. >> here's another quiz question for you... the answer when we return. [ bird caws ] dear predictable, there's no other way to say this. it's over. i've found a permanent escape from monotony.

together, we are perfectly balanced, our senses awake, our hearts racing as one. i know this is sudden, but they say: if you love something... set it free. see you around, giulia ♪ when a fire destroyed everything in our living room. we replaced it all without touching our savings. yeah, our insurance won't do that. no. you can leave worry behind when liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance when liberty stands with you™. i just want to find a used car start at the new carfax.com show me used trucks with one owner. pretty cool. [laughs] ah... ahem... show me the carfax. start your used car search at the all-new carfax.com.

won't replace the full value of your totaled new car. the guy says you picked the wrong insurance plan. no, i picked the wrong insurance company. with liberty mutual new car replacement™, you won't have to worry about replacing your car because you'll get the full value back including depreciation. and if you have more than one liberty mutual policy, you qualify for a multi-policy discount, saving you money on your car and home coverage. call

for a free quote today. liberty stands with you™. liberty mutual insurance. >> so, how many acres could a farmer till in a day with a horse-drawn plow? the answer is "b," 1 to 3 acres. ♪ >> after months of discussion, dave hawkins' heirs have come to a painful conclusion -- it's time to auction off his

lifelong collection of tractors. but one more family member gets to weighs in -- dave himself. >> it was discovered in my dad's desk that he had a handwritten list of the tractors that he wished for us to save. >> these tractors, going back to the 1920s, are the cream of dave's crop and must stay in the family. their dad's list gets them thinking. what else should they keep off the auction block? so, they each make their own lists. >> it had to be godly intervention that when we got together for a family meeting and compared our lists, nobody had picked wanting the same item. at first, roma herself is undecided. >> one day, i would think, "yes, i should keep a tractor." and the next day i'm thinking, "you know what? it's only metal, and my memories of being with dad are invaluable to me." >> in the end, she can't resist keeping two bright green john deeres -- a 1943 b and a

'48 m. meanwhile, alex and his dad work the family farm with this 1964 deere. okay. that's one. he asks if i want to drive it. >> over there are your brakes. >> brakes are important. >> this is your lever to select the gear that you go in. >> and, of course, he's gentleman enough to coach this city girl on the basics, like how you turn the darned thing on. >> i'm gonna start it up. i see a key. >> yep. [ engine turns over ] >> there you go. perfect. >> i wouldn't... >> [ laughs ] >> we don't have anything like this in new york. >> nothing like this? >> no, nothing. >> you think the taxis will get out of the way? >> oh, i think so. i think everyone will get out of the way. [ engine shuts off ] unbelievable experience driving a tractor. >> my pleasure. >> thank you. that was exciting. hard to imagine that the hawkins heirs had to wrangle more than

100 of these things to get ready for auction. >> you worked hard to get ready, i'm sure. >> alex and todd popken worked through the winter ahead of that sale date getting tractors ready. >> a lot of sweat, a lot of tears, and a lot of laughter. >> auctioneer bruce brock knows the key is getting as many motivated bidders as possible tn day. tell me about the night before. you get a good night's sleep? >> very little. we are entrusted to, in just a few hours, bring to fruition a lifetime of collecting and sacrifice that the family's gone through. it was a big day for us, and we had everything planned, right down to the most minute detail. >> well, every detail except one. [ thunder rumbles ] >> the day of the auction started out a little bit on the rocky side.

>> that's next. [ thunder rumbles ] i'm so frustrated. i just want to find a used car without getting ripped off. you could start your search at the all-new carfax.com that might help. show me the carfax. now the car you want and the history you need are easy to find. show me used trucks with one owner. pretty cool. [laughs] ah... ahem... show me the carfax. start your used car search and get free carfax reports at the all-new carfax.com.

>> narrator: now back to "strange inheritance." >> after months of tough decisions and hard work, dave hawkins' loved ones gather at the family farm for the auction of his collection of antique tractors. just as the gavel is about to be raised... [ thunder crashes ] it starts to pour buckets.

you went to all this preparation, though, for the auction, and the sky opens up. and what was it like? >> disappointing that it might damper the crowd, but you can't ever wish away rain if you're a farmer. >> dad would sing a song, "you are my sunshine," to all of us a lot when we were small, and so that morning, on the way over here, i had ran into town and got us four yellow roses. >> then the clouds part. >> and so, after it stopped raining, i took a yellow rose to my mother and my two sisters and said, "you know, dad will always be our sunshine." so, we all carried our yellow roses around, and he was our sunshine.

[ auctioneer calling ] >> once the bidding starts, it's immediately clear that dave hawkins isn't the only one obsessed with these big machines. was it a sell-out? >> it was a sell-out. and we were hoping to get 500 or 600 people, and we were almost double that. >> the bidders come from as far away as canada and mexico. 1936 john deere a -- sold. $2,000. '46 deere slant dash -- sold. $3,000. '49 case cs -- sold. $600 '51 oliver row-crop -- sold. $8,000. '58 john deere 730 diesel -- sold. $20,000. tractors are pretty valuable to people. >> tractors are pretty valuable, both emotionally and financially. >> the family's dedication to dave hawkins' memory pays off. the auction nets around $400,000 for his heirs.

i guess you could say dave is still taking care of his family. >> i had one child still in college, and my oldest child had graduated from college. and so, i was very excited to be able to use that money to help them with their college debt. >> dave, who hated debt, would be proud. oh, my goodness. but it could have been a lot more. if you add up the value of the 23 tractors that stay in the hawkins family, it comes to more than $180,000. still, there are a few tears as 100-plus tractors are trucked away to collectors around the country and beyond. >> it was kind of a bittersweet deal. there was a couple that i would have liked to have kept. >> i just feel bad for alex going out to all the empty sheds. >> but alex hopes the sheds won't be empty forever.

>> as i get older and get my own collection going, maybe i'll have the same problem again in 50 years. >> and remember that '29 john deere, the one that belonged to alex's great-grandfather? that very first one that dave rescued from the junk pile? so, this is it? >> this one's it. >> in his will, dave hawkins sets that one aside for alex. perhaps it will be the seed that grows into another grand collection, just like his grandpa's. >> living out here on the farm is good. you always get to walk somewhat in his footsteps, day in and day out. he's still here a little bit for me. people that grew up on farms, that's your lifestyle. you breathe and die farming. >> i couldn't help but notice alex's pride, not just in that machine, not simply a strange

inheritance that turned out to be quite valuable, but rather in the way of life that links him to those who came before him on this land and the determination of dave hawkins' heirs to keep his legacy together for at least one more generation. we learned one other story about dave hawkins from his family. he never spent time with his tractors without having one of his children or grandchildren alongside. a completely positive person -- that's how they described him. so positive that he'd answer the phone "good morning," whether it was morning or night. in fact, after he passed, they had t-shirts made that said "good morning" with "gramps" on the sleeve to wear their first christmas without dave. thanks so much for joining us for "strange inheritance." i'm jamie colby. remember -- you can't take it with you. do you have a strange inheritance story you'd like to

share with us? we'd love to hear it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com. >> 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? somebody's scamming us." >> so, is it a scam? >> i said, "you know, ray, there's a fine between genius and idiot." he'd 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 didn't have the family life. he didn't have a friend to talk to. >> he really, truly was a fan. >> but an inheritance? >> that's a strange inheritance and a stranger story still. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ]

[ bird caws ] ♪ >> i'm jamie colby, and today i'm on old route 66 in central illinois. i'm 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 71-year old client has died

of heart failure. behle cannot even remember fulk. >> i hadn't seen him in 15 years, and so i had no idea who they're talking about. >> how strange is it that we're here right now talking to you about this guy you barely remember? >> [ laughs ] it's 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 ray's 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 you'd have dracula involved. >> i mean, my house might sometimes be untidy. are we talking about more than that? >> we're talking about a hoarder show. the whole place reeked.

>> somehow, the lawyer locates ray fulk's 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 ray's 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. >> he'll start to fit it all together soon. among ray's many diaries written in neat cursive, don finds a scrapbook with a big clue. >> it said "lucan." i opened it up, and it had kevin's 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 short-lived 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?

don's 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 it's too good to be true, it probably is." >> that's next. >> but first, our "strange inheritance" quiz question. which strange personality willed that a séance be held for him every year? was it master of the macabre edgar allan poe, escape artist harry houdini, or horror-film icon vincent price? the answer in a moment.

bp engineered a fleet of 32 brand new ships with advanced technology, so we can make sure

oil and gas get where they need to go safely. because safety is never being satisfied. and always working to be better.

>> so, which strange personality willed an annual séance be held for him? it's "b," harry houdini, who died in 1926. he wanted to reveal himself to his wife once a year. >> let's reset. in august 2012, two former actors -- kevin brophy and peter barton -- each receive a letter informing them they are the co-inheritors of the estate of someone named ray fulk. ray had never met either of

them. leaving a huge amount of money to someone you've never met sounds more than eccentric, which leads me to a question for ray's 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. >> it's 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 two-year period. >> as so many actors will say,

it was a good ride while it lasted. it didn't 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 bel-air 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 don't 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 fulk's 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 don't hear much about kevin until you find out somebody died and you're the only two "friends" he names in his will. >> from the moment i opened that up and i saw kevin's name, i was like, "somebody's scamming us." >> the two men discuss what to do next. >> i said, "peter, i believe it. i believe it, and i'm going with it for gusto." >> i took the other side of it completely, going, "kevin, if it's too good to be true, it probably is." >> but peter agrees to make the 900-mile trip to lincoln, illinois, to find out for both of them. peter's 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, 3-21-77.

10-15-87. '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. that's 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 stone's throw away from ray fulk. how would you describe, in a word, ray? >> weird. >> i'd 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, she'd leave him out of the house. he couldn't come in the house for a while. he'd have to stay outside. he said he'd go sleep with the puppies. >> mm-hmm. 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 today's education, they would have caught that, but they just didn't 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. >> it's 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, there's a fine line between genius and idiot." he'd say, "yeah," and he said, "i cross that two or three times a day." >> in 1981, ray's 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 doesn't have much time left. ray confides in his friend bob

that he suspects some of his cousins are after the farm and his dad's investments. ray fears they're trying to have him declared mentally incompetent to take control of his father's estate. >> he was telling me about it, and i said, "ray, you need an attorney." >> ray's been using his father's attorney, but he now suspects that lawyer is in cahoots with his cousins and scheming against him. >> and that's 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 he'll help. then in 1997, ray's 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, didn't like them. >> but don knows full well that's 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. >> how'd that go? that's next -- and more. do you ever feel guilty taking an inheritance from a stranger? >> here's another quiz question for you. which of these pampered pets was willed the largest inheritance?

fashion designer alexander mcqueen's bull terriers, king of pop michael jackson's chimp, or real-estate mogul leona helmsley's maltese? the answer in a moment. dear predictable, there's no other way to say this. it's over. i've found a permanent escape from monotony. together, we are perfectly balanced, our senses awake, our hearts racing as one. i know this is sudden, but they say: if you love something... set it free. see you around, giulia ♪ at angie's list, we believe there are certain things you can count on,

like a tired dog is a good dog. ♪ [ whimpers ] ♪ so when you need a dog walker or a handyman, you can count on us to help you find the right person for the job. discover all the ways we can help at angie's list. because your home is where our heart is. then you're a couple. think of all you'll share... like snoring. does your bed do that? the dual adjustability of a sleep number bed allows you each to choose the firmness and comfort you want. so every couple can get the best sleep ever. does your bed do that? only at a sleep number store, where queen mattresses start at just $899. and right now save $400 on our most popular mattresses. go to sleepnumber.com for a store near you.

your insurance on time. tap one little bumper, and up go your rates.

what good is having insurance if you get punished for using it? news flash: nobody's perfect. for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise your rates due to your first accident. and if you do have an accident, our claims centers are available to assist you 24/7. call for a free quote today. liberty stands with you™ liberty mutual insurance

>> so, which pampered pet received the largest inheritance? it's "c." leona helmsley left her beloved maltese -- trouble -- a $12-million trust in 2007. [ dog barks ] >> two former actors get the surprise of a lifetime in 2012 when ray fulk, a man they've never met, leaves them a large inheritance. >> but it's no done deal yet. ray's relatives have six months to challenge the will, and ray long suspected that some of them pegged him as mentally incompetent. you don't think of it as taking it away from other relatives of his? >> absolutely not because ray's 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 -- ray's 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 it's all hand-put-together. and the picture that i sent him -- there's 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? >> that's a strange inheritance and a stranger story still. >> okay, with the scrapbooks, the wolf pictures, the dog cemetery, you get ray fulk's affinity for "lucan." but what's up with the soap-opera doc? peter barton finds the answer in ray's letters. >> i started reading these letters, and i'm like, "wow. this guy is talking about astral projecting. he's talking about things

that my character did." >> not barton's "young and the restless" character, but in his role in "the powers of matthew star," a 1982 series about an alien with supernatural abilities. >> it's 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 couldn't get out. that's 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. >> how'd that go? >> nobody contested it. >> so kevin brophy and peter barton are now the proud owners of 167 acres cn and

soybeafids. 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 they're 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? that's coming up, plus this. did ray save your life? >> ray indeed saved my life.

at crowne plaza we know business travel isn't just business. there's this. 'a bit of this. why not? your hotel should make it easy to do all the things you do. which is what we do. crowne plaza. we're all business, mostly.

>> 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 can't do winters, and i can't do farming. >> so the heirs ask ray's attorney, don behle, to sell it and see what they get. plenty of locals want ray's 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 ray's 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 they're 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 down-to-earth, good people that nitsie and i -- we just loved them to pieces. >> how did the money change your life? >> that's 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 >> 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, i'm thinking of running for the mayor of beverly hills. >> so, the acting didn't make you rich. did the inheritance make you rich? >> the inheritance gave me confidence that i'm 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 they'd never met. i'm jamie colby for "strange inheritance." thanks so much for watching. and remember -- you can't take it with you. do you have a "strange inheritance" story

you'd like to share with us? we'd love to hear it. send me an e-mail or go to our website -- strangeinheritance.com >> was he a lifelong hoarder or a shrewd collector? the answer lies inside this salvage yard filled with rusty old cars. >> did you know how many cars grandpa had? >> the locals say it's a worthless eyesore. >> whoo-hoo! >> his grandson calls it an "iron gold mine." [ auctioneer calling ] which is the truth? we're about to find out. >> sold it! [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] >> i'm jamie colby, and i'm just driving in to enid, oklahoma, which is about 90 miles north of