across all your locations. hello, mr. deets. every branch running like headquarters. that's how you outmaneuver. >> they're cars you never heard of. >> he liked to buy unique cars -- kissels, grahams, overlands. he always used to say, "i don't want to meet myself on the road." >> it's a great hobby. keeps you out of the beer joints. >> do you have your foot on the brake, teacher? just in case? >> i haven't jumped out yet. >> these heirs hit a fork in the road... >> so that is a point of contention. do you donate cars here? do you have an auction? >> it's really tough to get every sibling on the same page. >> yeah, i'd say we're no different. >> ...until they hear an emotional voice from the past. >> when we go by his gravesite, he's probably on high spin mode up there. >> it's just money. can't take it with you.

>> i'm jamie colby, and today i'm cruising through boone county, iowa, smack dab in the middle of corn country. i'm here to meet the heirs of a man who left behind dozens and dozens of "orphans." orphan cars, that is. so, what's an orphan car? you're about to find out. >> my name is jerry quam. my father, grant quam, liked to collect orphan cars, which are cars that were manufactured by companies that are no longer in existence today. many of these are rare cars of which there's only a few known to exist. >> i meet up with jerry and his brother john at this modern, climate-controlled barn. what's in the barn? you got tractors, you got horses? >> something better. >> better than that? >> you're gonna love this. >> whoa.

i am in heaven. did you know i love cars? >> i've heard a rumor. >> this is an incredible collection. you inherited this? >> our father's collection. >> i imagine there's a great story behind these cars. >> each and every one. >> these car stories begin right up t road inoland, iowa, where johnnd jerry's father, grant quam, grew up in the 1920s. >> why was your dad so passionate about cars? >> he grew up on a farm and they were pretty poor, but he'd see people coming into town driving around in these fine cars, and that got him excited about it. >> while grant may not be able to afford these fancy cars, he sure can fix 'em up. >> he had a real knack for fixing things. he was just fascinated with machinery and cars. >> soon enough, the budding mechanic is running a little repair operation out of the farm corncrib. and when he's a teen, grant

finally figures out a way to buy his first car -- using his school lunch money. so cars were more important than food. >> that's probably true. >> when the great depression hits, it devastates farm country and grant's family. >> his father -- they lost the farm and stuff. you know, when he left home, everything he owned was in a shoebox. >> at the same time, hundreds of car manufacturers are losing it all, too. in the early 1900s, nearly 1,800 companies are in the carmaking game. and as late as 1925, some 237 remain. but the depression wipes out a great many of those, with some luxury brands hanging on only to collapse after world war ii. >> cars like the pierce-arrow, peerless, and packard, you don't hear of any of those today. they're all gone. >> so an orphan car is a car with no parents. >> yeah, that's basically right. >> so when grant reaches his mid-50s and starts seeing some

real-estate investments pay off, he's finally able to track down those orphan cars that fascinated him in his youth. >> there's not a lot of fords or chevys. he liked to buy unique cars. he always used to say, "i don't want to meet myself on the road." >> grant's not likely to meet himself on the road driving one of these. not only are his cars from unique manufacturers, many of the particular models are extremely rare, too -- like this 1936 pierce-arrow roadster. >> there's maybe fewer than five that are known to exist of that car. >> i'm totally loving the paint. is it also unique? >> the guy he bought it from liked butter-nut coffee, so he painted the car to look like the butter-nut coffee can. >> grant's 1925 kissel gold bug, made popular by amelia earhart, is just as rare. can i get inside? >> absolutely. >> i'm gonna try to slide in. [ grunts ] wow.

you had to be petite. not so graceful. i could drive this. now you guys know what i like, okay? some of grant's finds are so uncommon, they were thought to have vanished long ago. >> this is a 1934 plymouth phaeton. when he first bought this, a lot of plymouth people here in the u.s. claimed that the car didn't exist. >> what? >> and they said that it was false advertising on the car. but finally, after some background checks, it turned out to be the real deal. >> and here's another rare phaeton, this one supposedly built at the 1934 world's fair in chicago. grant's orphan cars even become the focus of segment on a local public tv program in 1999. did you see the pbs clip when it aired? >> i did. it was a show that they were doing at the time in iowa that

was about people had unique collections. in 2007, grant passes away at the age of 91. >> was he specific with you, jerry, and your family about what he wanted you to do with the cars? >> he never really approached it when we were alive. he never really talked about that. >> do you wish he was more specific? >> yeah, in some ways it would have been better. >> six years later, when their mom, betty, dies, grant's four children -- now "orphans" themselves -- still haven't settled on a plan for their strange inheritance. >> so that is a point of contention. do you donate cars here? do you have an auction? every family has their differences. some want to do this, some want to do that. >> the oldest sibling, john, wants to keep the collection intact. the youngest, jerry, who's gone into collecting, leans that way, too. but the other two siblings, jim and marilyn, don't have the

same emotional connection to the cars and would just as soon sell them. >> we're all pretty independent people. >> that's hard. >> absolutely, it's hard. >> and it won't be getting any easier -- because while grant had plenty of beauties like these, he left behind even more like this. >> i thought, "oh, my gosh, what have i gotten myself into this time?" this was like entering a crime scene almost. >> a crime scene?! we'll walk it, next. >> but first... the answer when we return.

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>> there never was an airmobile. o-we-gos were produced in owego, new york, american chocolates in a chocolate factory, and a car without a name thought owners might prefer to title their models themselves. >> grant quam's passion was tracking down orphans -- rare and unusual cars from now-defunct automakers. can you rattle off for me some of the rarer cars in the collection? >> 1925 kissel gold bug. 1911 and a 1913 overland.

1913 studebaker. pierce-arrows, grahams. >> he gathers over 80 unique models, such as this 1920 peerless roadster. >> it was one of the most original cars he's ever bought. it still has the original radiator hoses. they're white because that was the natural color of rubber, and they started to color rubber black later on. >> after grant's death in 2007, his heirs are torn about what to do with their father's unique car pool. do they sell? keep? donate? >> you know, i find, with inheritances, it's really tough to get every sibling on the same page. >> yeah, i'd say we're no different. >> but before any decisions can be made, the family needs to know what the cars are worth. for that, they bring in appraiser jim mcdonald from des moines. he learns grant's hoard of automobiles is spread out among three locations, and not every car looks shiny and new.

this machine shed is jam-packed with grant's junkers, barn finds, and project cars. >> when i first walked into it, i thought, "oh, my gosh, what have i gotten myself into this time?" this was like entering a crime scene almost. a lot of these cars had been sitting for 10, 15, 20 years. this looks like it was last driven in 1956. >> these cars are worth a little, maybe a thousand -- more if they get fixed up. a second building holds about 15 mid-tier-quality cars. jim puts these in the five-figure range. but the real money is in the final storage area, what grant called his "inner sanctum." >> this had his pierce-arrow, it had his auburn, it had his kissel. it had all the better cars. >> jim photographs and grades each one, including this exceptionally rare model, a 1922 detroit electric.

>> electric cars were very much favored by women in the early days of cars. they were popular because women weren't able to crank the cars and get them started. >> i'm in! >> this is the steering wheel. >> really? >> well, kind of. this is like a tiller on a boat. >> okay. >> so if you want to go this direction, you push that way, if you want to go that direction, you pull back here. >> okay, i got it. >> then, this is your speed. here is the brake that works sometimes. >> sometimes, john? >> ready to go? >> yes. >> let's do it. >> the engine turns on with a simple flip of the switch. >> the first click, and there you go. >> oh! yikes. >> there you go. >> oh, slow it down, slow it down, slow it down. >> pull this back. >> i'm an excellent driver. i'm an excellent driver. this is like driver's ed. do you have your foot on the brake, teacher? just in case? >> i haven't jumped out yet. >> going straight is one thing, but now the real challenge -- turning! the turns are not so easy. >> no. you'd do well back in that time period. you'd be the, uh, envy of

the neighborhood. >> whoo-hoo! how'd i do? >> excellent. >> yay! >> better than me. >> sold. including that detroit electric, the appraiser arrives at a total value for the collection of over one million dollars. a nice chunk of change, but even that doesn't shift grant's heirs out of neutral. the siblings need something more to finally settle the dispute on how to handle their father's cars. that's when they receive a message, almost from beyond the grave. that's next. >> here's another quiz question for you.

the answer when we return.

>> he committed the first speeding infraction in the u.s., winding up in jail for driving a breakneck 12 miles per hour down lexington avenue, four over the limit. >> grant quam's four children can't agree on what to do with their strange inheritance -- 80 so-called orphan cars potentially worth over a million dollars. >> jim and marilyn think it's time to sell, but jerry and john would like to see the collection kept together. >> i've had a chance to experience most every car here.

spent a lot of time in these. i've driven most of them through the years. >> it's two against two. something's got to give. how do they decide? they go to the videotape. remember that local-tv piece featuring grant all those years ago? turns out a crucial part of grant's interview was never broadcast. >> it was like a 15-minute segment, but later they offered up the entire raw footage of the shoot. >> they pop the cutting-room-floor footage in the vcr. during the unedited, hour-long interview, grant is asked about many topics that never reach air, including the future of his cherished autos. listen. >> [ laughs ]

>> their father's words end the debate -- the siblings will auction off the cars. >> now, for me personally, um, that was probably a harder pill to swallow. >> did you fight it? >> no. there's a time when things, whether you like it or not, need to happen. my ideal thing would have been not to have sold the cars, but that -- that wasn't gonna work. >> soon after, the family hires auctioneer yvette vanderbrink to handle the sale of their dad's collection. >> my first impression was, wow, this is really a lot of automotive history. >> yvette immediately puts the family to work. she wants as many of the vehicles as possible up and running by the auction. >> so here we are at the farm. this gives you an idea of what we're up against. >> how much work went into getting them ready for auction? >> it's overwhelming to deal with. you got to get the mechanics up working on 'em, you got to get

the detail people to come up. it's a long process. >> despite the challenge, the family brings many back to life. and as the auction nears, the reality of saying goodbye to dad's cars begins to sink in. >> this is a piece of dad. it's very personal to your father. >> yeah. but he always used to say there's time slots in life, right, for different things. and, uh, anyway, this time slot is over, right, so it's time to sell 'em and -- and move on. >> of course there's no telling what grant's unusually rare models might sell for. >> how do you set a price on some of these? >> that is the hard part. how do you find a comp for a '36 pierce when there's never been one sold and there's only five made? >> what do you expect? >> it's really, really hard to know, because as my dad used to say, an auction, you need two buyers that want the car, three is better. >> up next -- which of grant's orphans find a good home... >> at 40, 40, 40. now 5. >> ...and which ones do not.

what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website -- strangeinheritance.com.

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>> now back to "strange inheritance." >> in september 2015, the heirs of grant quam are auctioning off their father's treasured fleet of orphan cars. you think you're doing this auction to his satisfaction? >> well, that's a good, good question. we always tease that, uh, when we go by his gravesite, he's probably on high spin mode. >> the biggest concern -- whether the right buyers will make the trek to small-town iowa for these exceedingly rare models. >> it's been a long adventure, nine months of getting ready. so we're kind of anxious to see how this all goes today. >> at 37, now 8. at 38, at 8, at 8. >> auctioneer yvette vanderbrink kicks things off with the heavy hitters.

>> we're gonna start with the better cars and sell them right off the bat, and the reason why i like to do that is, everybody has money and comes to the sale. everybody wants to take the prom queen. >> but some of those prom queens aren't going anywhere without the right bid. >> this is a 1936 pierce-arrow. this also is being sold subject to confirmation. >> this will be the car that tells the tale on the auction. there were some serious players here yesterday looking at it, so we'll see what happens. >> at 35, at 5, at 5. at 35. where are you gonna find one? it's one of five, guys. >> but today, that right buyer doesn't show up. >> okay, folks, that has not met the reserve. if you are interested, come talk to us. >> grant's 1925 kissel gold bug also fails to hit the minimum bid. >> you have to have the right people here, and you never know. we don't want to give the cars away. >> after that distressing start,

they learn they won't have to. the auction picks up speed with the '34 phaeton, said to have been built at the chicago world's fair. >> at 45,000. at 45, 5, 5. at 40,000, let's go. you have to step up your game there. at 51, 1, 1, at 1. at 51,000. it's just money. can't take it with you. sold at $53,000. [ applause ] >> soon after, someone steers away with that detroit electric i drove for 48 grand. >> [ calling ] >> and the auction just keeps rolling. grant's '34 plymouth goes for 45k. his '37 lasalle brings in another 48. a '36 graham fetches 28k,

while this 1913 studebaker sells for 25,000. >> so far it's looking -- looking okay >> now up for bid -- grant's 1920 peerless roadster. >> 60, 60, 60, at 60. at 60,000. now 5. at 65, 5, 5. at 65. now 90. at 90, 90, 90. at 90, at 90,000. now 5. at 95, 5, 5. at 95,000. 1, 1, at 1. at 101. 101,5. sold at $101,000. >> that was surprising because it takes a very special buyer to buy that car. >> by the end of the day, the family hauls in over 700,000 bucks. and with those two big-value cars still left to sell privately in the future, the family believes they'll break the million-dollar mark. >> it's a bittersweet thing. i mean, as i started seeing cars

going out of here, it's kind of reality. but it feels good to see people that love them, and they'll take care of them. >> and isn't that what adopting an orphan is all about? jerry's sure he's done right by his dad, getting his babies into good hands. >> his time slot is over. it's time for another custodian to take ownership and enjoy the car, because sitting inside in a dark building made no sense. they should be out and enjoyed. so we're happy to see that, and he would have too. >> before the auction, jerry quam purchased a few cars from his father's collection. he didn't pick the ones that were the most valuable or rare. in fact, the cars didn't even mesh with his personal car collection. the vehicles simply reminded jerry most of his father. so even after his children have to bid farewell to their dad's precious cars, a part of grant's legacy will live on and

stay in the family. i'm jamie colby for "strange inheritance." thanks so much for watching. and remember... >> it's just money. can't 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? 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. ♪

>> 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. ♪ hey, i'm the internet! i know a bunch of people who would love that. the internet loves what you're doing... ...so build a better website in under an hour with... ...gocentral from godaddy. the internet is waiting. start for free today at godaddy. i'm alejandro escovedo. you may not know there's a link between certain viruses and cancer. i found out when i was diagnosed with hepatitis c. i learned that up to 65% of all liver cancers are caused by hepatitis b or c.

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>> 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 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 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.

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>> 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 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, 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 lauren: breaking news this morning. the day after gunman opens fire on republican congressman playing fire. steve scalise remains in critical condition. you were looking out a live shot of the nation's capitol. a live report from washington with the development. i'm lauren simonetti. >> i am laurie brought in for cheryl casone. robert mueller expanded its investigation into russian meddling in the u.s. election