♪ >> a crime ring -- family-style. [ gunfire ] she's the niece of the notorious bonnie parker. >> my aunt was known as that cute, little blonde bonnie. then she connected with clyde. >> clyde barrow uncle. >> once clyde had been accused of murder, he diurn back. >> their grandfather was a lawman who hunted them. >> two of the south's worst killers. >> your grandfather was the sheriff. >> killing bonnie and clyde was the ultimate. >> grim souvenirs, one strange inheritance. >> it was just like finding treasure after treasure. >> bonnie parker's three-headed snake ring. >> sitting there... >> right. >> ...all along? [ door] [ wind howls ]

[ thunder rumbles ] [ bird caws ] ♪ >> i'm jamie colby in boston today, about to meet a family who have traveled up here from d historic inheritance on the auction block. >> my name's debbie wollebak-daily. my siblings and i grew up hearing fabulous tales about our grandpa, a texas lawman whose claim to fame is that he came this close to nabbing bonnie and clyde. >> ladies, i'm jamie. >> hey, jamie. so nice to meet you. this is my sister, debbie. >> i am so excited to be here ir family for this upcoming auction. diana and debbie show me photos of their grandpa, a larger-than-life texas lawman. in 1933, he led a posse that ambushed that infamous outlaw couple, bonnie parker and

clyde barrow, and nearly caught them. as kids, diana, debbie, and steve, are fascinated by grandpa's 8-inch-thick scrapbook, full of vivid crime-scene photos. wasn't that creepy? >> very, very creepy. >> we thought it was the greatest thing ever. >> there are original mug shots of be and clyde an clippings about grandpa smoot's failed ambush in sowers, texas. you think he regretted the fact that he didn't get them the first time? >> i'm sure he was probably disappointed that attempt did not work out, buas a legendary hero after that. >> so, who was this legendary lawman? richard allen "smoot" schmid, born near garland, texas, in 1897, soon becomes the image of a long, tall texan. how did smoot get the name "smoot"? >> in high school, he was 6'4" and wore a 14-size shoe.

i don't know what smoot has to do with that. >> smoot studies law in college but never goes on to practice. instead, he opens a bike shop in dallas. >> he had some motorcycles, also, and he apparently was a vil hose. >> a regular evel knievel. >> that's right! >> maybe it's smoot's flamboyant antics that catch the eye of a dallas widow, named cookie wollebak. >> that was cookie, and we called smoot "pa." >> 1931. cookie has two boys, 5-year-old david and 3-year-old bob, debbie and diana's dad. smoot raises the boys as his own. then, out of the blue, smoot decides to run for dallas county sheriff. well, how do you go from that to being the lawman in town? >> there was some upheaval in the sheriff's department, and he was asked if he would like to run for sheriff. and he said, "okay." >> turns out voters in 1933 are

charmed by big smoot. he takes office just ason-era g john dillinger and "pretty boy" floyd capture the country's imagination. the most notorious of all -- dallas' very own bonnie and clyde, who'd met as teens. >> clyde offered her a cup of hot chocolate, and it was love from then on. om the family.scoop straight buddy barrow is clyde barrow's nephew, and rhea leen linder is bonnie parker's niece. >> she was well-known as that cute, little blonde bonnie. but clyde, and all of her ambitions seemed to just revolve around him. >> a few months into their courtship, clyde's convicted of burglary and sentenced to 14 years' hard labor. when he's granted early parole, what's the first thing he does? hook up with bonnie, of course. >> her choice was to go with

clyde, and, unfortunately, they took the wrong road. >> the two set out on a vicious crime spree, firsting a ford v-8, then kidnapping an officer in carlsbad, new mexico, then come armed robberies and gunfights with law enforcement in texas, missouri, and iowa. it's one thing to be in love. it's another to criss-cross the country on a crime spree. buddy, what was up with these two? >> once clyde had been accused of murder, he knew that he was gonna go to the chair. and he tried to get bonnie to leave many times, and she wouldn't do it. >> along the way, it's believed they kill more than a dozen people. >> it's like a soap opera. the general public had something to look forward to the next day. >> in november 1933, grandpa smoot receives two arrest warrants from the state of texas. "clyde barrow charged with the offense of murder." >> right -- 14 times.

>> sheriff smoot schmid is on the hunt, which leads eventually to diana and debbie's strange inheritance. and your dad had this, and he never told you? >> no. >> here's a "strange inheritance" quiz question. which texas beauty made her film debut as a stand-in for faye dunaway in the movie "bonnie and clyde"? the answer after the break.

♪ >> so, which texas beauty made her film debut as a stand-in for faye dunaway in the movie "bonnie and clyde"? ...who 16 ime. unfortunat her footage ended up on the cutting-room floor. >> we pick up this "strange inheritance" tale in 1933, when bonnie and clyde are wanted for multiple murders. >> these are death warrants for bonnie... >> oh, my...and re's another warrant that we found in the scrapbook for clyde. >> in november '33, our heirs' grandpa, sheriff smoot schmid, ts a tip. bonnie and clyde will be attending a barrow family gathering on the outskirts of dallas, in sowers, texas. >>ot schmi his officers d out about this from someone real close to his family

the night before. >> a leak. smoot anhis posse stage an ambush on the road to the picnic site. bonnie and clyde roll up in a stolen ford v-8. the lawmen are lying in wait, hiding in a ditch. clyde senses trouble, but before he can hit the gas, en open fire. >> clyde and bonnie were both hit, shot in the legs and everything, and they were bleeding pretty good. they drove the car several miles on flat tires and wheels to get away. the officers had parked far enough away. they couldn't get to their cars very quick, so clyde had ample time to get as far as he could. >> a few miles away, clyde dumps the bullet-ridden ford and hijacks another getaway car. pretty tough to outrun and outshoot bonnie and clyde. >> yeah. he was probably the most elusive outlaw of all the depression outlaws. >> while smoot and his posse fail to nab the infamous couple, they discover a cache of bonnie

and clyde's personal effects inside the abandoned ford. >> these officers knew that somewhere down the line, these will be worth money. >> so, they keep them for themselves. six months later, in may 1934, bonnie and clyde are ambushed by rural road in louisiana.on a this time, they don't get away. ♪ >> clyde barrow and bonnie parker... >> smoot shares the news with dallas. >> ...two he south's worst killers. this was terminated in their apprehension day before yesterday in the state of louisiana. >> the couple's funerals attract huge crowds in their hometown. the mug shots, arrest warrants, photos, and other artifacts, documenting sheriff smoot's pursuit of the barrow gang, are pasted into a family scrapbook. smoot serves as dallas county sheriff until 1947. his stepson bob grows up and

starts a family of his own, including children debbie, diana, and steve. did dad show this material off to friends? was he proud of it? >> he just never pulled it out. >> grandpa smoot passes away in 1963.lf a cenerin 2013, when his son bob dies, bob's kids and their spouses are cleaning out the family home. they rediscover that old scrapbook. >> we all std, like, lookingatt this is amazing stuff." >> and there's a lot more squirreled away in dad's house, north of houston -- relics they hadn't even known existed. there's grandpa smoot's monogrammed cowboy boots, his service revolver, and this 4-page letter, handwritten by bonnie and signed by clyde. that's his signature? >> that's his signature. >> there's more. the siblings find a ledger, written by their fat >> in hihandwriting, the

contents of what was in the box. >> this is what we found thatwa- bonnie parker's ring. >> oh, my. in small print -- "three silver snakes with tiny jewels." bonnie parker's ring? >> we all went, "oh, my go where is that?" >> here's another quiz question for you... the answer when we return. man: i got scar tissue there. same thing with any dent or dings on this truck. a sapry man 2: was raining,

there waly one way out. i could feel the barb wire was just digging into the paint. (thud) bam hit the truck. try explaining that to your insurance company. woman: another ding, another scratch. it'll just be another chapter in the sto. every scar tells a story, and you can tell a lot more stories when your truck is a chevy silverado. the most dependable, longest-lasting, full-size pickups on the road.

♪ >>o, which nonactor did warren beatty consider for the

role of clyde? ...the musician and composer who resembled the actual clyde barrow. >> the descendants of a renowned texas lawman are on the hunt for a very personal relic connected to the infamous outlaw lovers, bonnie and clyde. they have on one clue -- a note written by their father on an inventory list. >> "bonnie parker ring -- three silver snakes with tiny jewels." >> that's the first we have ever seen or heard anything about the ring. dad never mentioned it. we had to search for it. >> they spend hours rummaging through their dad's house, near houston, looking for the ring that belonged to bonnie parker. days pass, and they still come up empty. then, in the back of a closet, debbie comes across a plastic bag filled with old costume jewelry. >> we poured it out on the

floor. there were three of us sitting around, going through this jewelry. >> it's like panning for gold. >> it was! >> finally, a spies a small black box. >> it was a little box. opened it up. it was bonnie parker's ring. wow! >> along with the ring, there are other rare mementos, like original photos of the outlaws' death car and signed letters from fbi director j. edgar hoover. >> it was just like finding treasure after treasure. >> debbie takes everything home and tucks it under a bed for safekeeping. in 2016, a few years after their father dies, they decide it's time to sell their strange inheritance. >> we just thought, "maybe we llould do sog with this >> they learn that in 2015, as you may have seen on a previous episode of this show, rr auction, based in new hampshire, sold two guns attributed to the barrow gang for nearly $500,000. i pay a visit to the

auction-house office here in boston. >> when i heard it was the famous sheriff smoot schmid, i got on the first plane to dallas. >> what's the timeliness of selling bonnie and clyde bilia? y were vy famous in 1934 because they left behind these incredible photographs of themselves. then, in 1967, the movie with faye dunaway and warren beatty kept the legend of bonnie and clyde alive. >> we check out grandpa smoot's old scrapbook. i'm afraid to turn the page. it's pretty fragile. >> turn it. but this page here -- when i saw this, jamie, i was so excited. these are the original arrest warrants for murder issued in november 1933 by the state of texas. and i wouldn't be surprised goes for $20,000. >> and what's this? >> we've got his sheriff's badge. it's solid gold. >> twinkling. >> it's got a real diamond in it. >> o texas. what do you think, bobby? >> it looks good on you. you should bid! >> how much? >> i would think that's gonna go for $10,000. >> and more items for collectors

to drool over, including that letter to a captured ex-gang member named ray hamilton, wrten by bnie and signedy clyde. >> that's a letter sent to a gang member they felt was a rat. >> so, they're writing hamilton to send him a warning? like, "we're on to you"? here he sa, i d found you, you wouldn't have had a chance tgive up." yikes! >> clyde barrow furious enough that he was gonna kill raymond. that in itself is probably worth $40,000. >> and then, there's that three-headed snake ring. >> if that ring was given to bonnie parker, then that ring is the closest thing there is to a wedding ring between bonnie and clyde. >> but i thought they weren't married. >> bonnie and clyde were never married. bonnie parker was married to someone else when she was killed. in fact, was wearing her wedding ring. >> wow! so, the whole time bonnie and clyde were an item, she was still legally married to some other guy and wearing his ring? then clyde, bobby believes,

gives her this one. why wasn't she wearing it? >> i don't know why bonnie wasn't wring it when they had the shootout in sowers in november 1933 when smoot had the shootout. but i do know he lifted all these things out of the car. >> could bobby be right? clyde's nephew buddy believes so. in fact, he thinks his uncle could have actually made t ring himself when he was in huntsville prison. >> clyde made jewelry in huntsville, and i've got a belt buckle he made while he was incarcerated. >> wow! with a "b"? for barrow? >> for barrow. >> as for the strange ring, buddy totally can see clyde making it r . >> clyde was sort of a mythical guy. the snake is a symbol of eternal love. it looked like something he could possibly design. >> next step? bring in a jewelry expert. david bellman wonders if the insignia inside bonnie's ring is another clue pointing to clyde. it's hard to make out, but he says it might be a music note pierced with an arrow.

arrow, barrow -- get it? and that's not all. >> come to find out that he was actually a self- musician. taught himself how to play the saxophone. >> in fact, clyde was famously toting his sax in the car when he and bonnie were killed. quite a tale. do you buy it? will the bidders, or is the auction house shooting too high? >> $6,000, now $6,500. looking for $6,500. what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com. when you think of miami you

think of,you know,rich,glamour but 5 miles away from the beach there's people who have i waed why somebody was in this situation especially in america. ♪music:oooh,oooh,oooh so when i started joshua's heart foundation it was a key thing to be able to engage youth in the foundation. to help them participate.

♪music:oooh,oooh,oooh i think passing on the torch and lighting a new flame in another person to do good is probably the point of the bigger missions i have. ♪music:aha,aha,aha so we are each making a bigger difference. muoooh,oooh,oooh♪ that's it! just giving back and producing love for everybody. rights protected by law. and you've got the power to make sure those laws are followed. take fair housing. it's illegal to refuse to rent to you because of your race, color, religion...

sex, national origin, disability or familial status. and the person who has the power to stop housing discrimination? you! if you feel you have encountered housing discrimination, file a complaint with hud so we can investigate it. you have the power to fight against this. the law is on your side. go to hud.gov/fairhousin or call 1-800-669-9777. fair housing is your right. use it. ♪ >> now back to "strange inheritance." >> in boston, in june 2017, the heirs to legendary texas sheriff smoot schmid are ready to sell their strange inheritance. it includes souvenirs he kept after a shootout with bonnie and clyde. auction exec bobby livingston's expecting quite a haul.

he's especially excited about bonnie parker's snake-head ring. >> that ring is the closest thing there is to a wedding ring between these two lovers. i wouldn't be surprised if that goes for well over $40,000, $50,000. we'll see. >> then, david bellman, bobby's jewe a newip on that insignia in the band of bonnie's ring. tell me what you have discovered. >> it turned out that the hallmark inside that looked like a musical note was actually a shape of a "u" with an arrow that was a mark for a coout rhs actually manufacturing rings like this. >> i didn't get the slam-dunk answer i was looking for. >> you do still believe it was bonnie's. >> yes. the great news is, it was found in the car in sowers and belonged to smoot schmid, and he attributed it to bonnie. >> still, it's now doubtful the ring will go for the 50k bob had estimated. what about the other items? ♪ first up on the auction block... >> sheriff smoot schmid's

service revolver. i have $3,250 bid. make it $3,500. yes, $3,500. fair warning. sold, $3,500. [ cash register dings ] >> next, smoot's diamond-studded sheriff's badge. >> number 2016. >> it starts with an absentee bid of 4,700 bucks and quickly soars. >> now $5,000 here. and now would you give $5,500? >> yes. >> okay. $6,000 here? >> and... >> i have $7,000. make it $7,500. $7,500. now, $8,000 with me? and this one is...sold, $8,000. >> whoo! >> south of the 10k estimate, but the heirs are still happy. now, those original bonnie and clyde arrest warrants. estimated price? 20k. >> starting bid -- $5,000. looking for $5,500. $5,500! and now looking for $6,000. $6,000. now $6,500. looking for $6,500.

and that is sold, $6,500. >> bidders get an even bigger bargain on that angry letter written by bonnie and signed by clyde. bobby guse$40,00 >> bonnie parker/clyde barrow autographed letter, signed. >> it starts with a phone bid for $12,000. >> now $13,000. $13,000 i have now. make it $14,000. that is $13,000. [ cash register dings ] >> finally, bonnie parker's snake-head ring comes up, but with a disclaimer. >> this was found in the car. it belonged to bonnie parker. we no longer believe it was made by clyde barrow. >> se bidds e still interested. >> and i have $14,000 bid. make it $15,000. we have an absentee bid of $20,000 on this. i'm looking now for $22,000. gonna sell it at $20,000. sold -- $20,000. >> the final tally on the famous

texas lawman's collection? just under $100,000, below bobby's estimate but still pretty good for a bunch of stuff found in grandpa's closet. the family's not complaining. >> very exciting. rr did a great job. >> the barrow family, meantime, predicts there could be more valuable relics on their way to the auction block in the years to come. among the items found in bonnie and clyde's death car -- clyde's treasured saxophone. it was returned to his mother d he family. then, it went missing. or, at least, no one's owning up to the fact that they might be hiding the old sax in a closet somewhere. buddy barrow isn't saying he knows what happened to the sax but that he and other family members do have their own stash of clyde mementos that they're thinking of selling one day. i reminded buddy, "you can'ttat"

i'm jamie colby. thanks for watching "strange inheritance." >> an automotivelaic >> oh, my. it really moves. >> well, it's pretty quick. >> what is it about the corvette that has captured america? >> you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris, but the american sports car has always been the corvette. >> it's the dream that keeps a soldier going... >> do you think that helped him get through very difficult times at war? >> absolutely. >> ...the decision that vexes his heir... >> it was the most difficult thing i've ever done in my life. >> ...the ultimate for vette collectors... >> it was an urban legend that there was this impeccably original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. >> we got three, four... >> ...and a mystery on wheels. >> something is fishy

because that's not there. [ door creaks ] [ wind howls ] [ thunder rumbles ] [ bird c] >> i'm jamie colby on the outskirts of chicago on my way to meet a guy whose strange inheritance takes us back to a time when american cars rule the road, america herself leads the free world, and a working-class kid from the midwest just dreams of making it home. >> my name is matt litavsky. my father meant the world to me, and he left me a very special car that meant the world to him. he chose me to preserve it, but there came a time when i had to let it go. >> hi, matt. i'm jamie. >> hi, jamie. it's nice to meet you. >> i know i came here to see your inheritance, this magnificent car, but when we're done, you got to take me for a ride in this. >> all right. we'll see about that. >> i'm on my best behavior. >> okay.

>> to appreciate the car, says matt, you first need to know about his dad and why his 1967 corvette meant so much to him. keith litavsky is born in lisle, illinois, in 1944. world war ii is drawing to a close. the cold war is about to begin. america is leading the charge, and nowhere is the country's muscle bolder than on american roadways, which gm, ford and chrysler are pumping with some of the coolest cars on earth. >> now it wasn't all about just having a four-door family car like it had been in the past. auto analyst john kraman. >> the manufacturers jumped on board with a variety of high-performance cars, wild colors, the styling really affected by the aviation theme with the big fins and and the wild, futuristic styling. >> no wonder keith loves cars

from boyhood. long before he gets his license, he settles on his dream ride, the american beauty that first rolls off the assembly line in 1953 when he's 9 years old, the chevy corvette. >> the corvette just res the bar totally with innovative styling and a fiberglass body, which at the time was unheard of. >> a decade later, in 1963, when keith is saving up for his first new car, chevy reintroduces the corvette with a new body style and renames it the stingray. keith wants one more than ever, but the vette's 4k list price is way out of reach, so he settles for a little less. >> the plymouth belvedere was his first car he bought new. has a 426 wedge in it, was what he could afford at the time. >> he doesn't have it long. >> in 1965, the war in vietnam

is heating up, and uncle sam calls keith's number. >> he gets drafted, and he sells the plymouth belvedere to his brother. soon, he's in the line of fire with no guarantee he'll return. >> he was in ronnaissance, so he went through a lot of difficult situations there. he made a lot of good friends and lost a lot of good friends. >> if keith does get back home, he's making sure a big rewardaw. in each letter to his family, he encloses his combat pay with a specific goal in mind, a brand-new corvette. do you think that was a dream that he hung onto that helped him get through very difficult times at war? >> absolutely. a lot of guys would flip through the flyers from the car de and pick out a car, and i think, psychologically, it helped them get through to know that they'll have that car there, so it was something to look forward to. >> here is a "strange inheritance" quiz

question... the answer after the break. insurance that won't replace the fu value of your new car? you're better off throwing your money right into the harbor. i'm gonna regret that. with new car replacement, if your brand new car gets totaled, liberty mutual will pay the entire value plus depreciation. liberty stands with you. liberty mutual insurance. cuz, um, i thought that was what i needed to do. we got our orders to go overseas

and i went to baghdad, iraq. we were transporting a bomb sniffing dog to the polling stations. we rolled over two anti-tank mines, it blew my humvee up, killed my sergeant. after the explosion, i suffered a closed head injury, um, traumatic brain injury, loss of a limb, burns to 60% of my body. when the doctors told me i reached my plateau, i did not want to hear that because i do not believe i have a plateau. so, i had to prove 'em wrong, which i am doing to this day and i will still do until the end of my days. i've gotten to where i am at because of my family. and, the wounded warrior project has helped me more than i can ever imagine. they have really been there to support me in my endeavors. my number one goal, basically, is to get close to where i was.

i am more than ready to work hard to get to that goal. i am living proof to never give up and i will never give up. ♪there's a me no one knows ♪waiting to be set free so, what's the empty suitcase for? the grand prize trophy ♪i was born to be somebody ♪

>> vietnam, april, 1966, keith litavsky is praying he'll making it home to illinois and the dream car he's saving for, a chevy corvette. one day, as keith's unit is searching for the enemy, shots ring out in the jungle. a firefight erupts, bodies dropping everywhere. >> he carried his wounded commanding officer out. >> literally carried? >> literally carried him out of this firefight. >> corporal litavsky makes it home in the winter of 1967. his leg...d shrapnel >> amazing. >> ...but came home with two purple hearts and a lot of interesting stories. >> and that car of his dreams is waiting for him -- this '67 chevrolet core,

fresh off the assembly line. >> we actually had ordered the car while he was in vietnam, then came home and picked up the car. >> marina blue finish, bright blue interior, sweet, plus red pinstripe tires and a black stinger, poetry on wheels. keith even keeps the sales sticker from the dealer. how much did it cost? >> it was around $5,500. >> so he had to save for a while. >> mm-hmm. it's a lot of money back then. >> what the heck? he's 23, just out of the army, single, handsome, buff. this ride perfectly fits his life but just for a fleeting moment. keith enrolls in college on the g.i. bill and marries crystal kierien. she's divorced with five kids. life had thrown crystal a curveball and keith was right there to catch it. >> young guy,

marries a woman with five children. >> yeah...>> five of you. >> five of us >> how old were you when they got married? >> i think i was about five. >> what kind of a father was he? >> if i could be half the man he was i'd be a success. he was the best. >> and so were his wheels. >> one of my first memories takes place in the corvette. me and my two brothers climbed in the back, and he gave us a ride. >> meanwhile, chevy is working up big changes for the ce, changes that will have profound consequees for ts "strange inheritance" story. in 1968, the stingray body style takes pre-'70s vibe. some folks love the new vettes. some hate them. either way, those earlier corvettes quickly become collectibles, and the '67, the last of the old body styles, would become the ultimate. >> those cars are regarded today

as some of the most desirable and valuable corvettes of all time. thy saw it coming. >> he knew he had a car that might be worth some money some day and decided to not drive it as much. every time he drove it, he would write stuff down and log it in a logbook. >> like what? >> well, if he started it up, he'd say, "july 5th, 80 degrees outside, started the car, revved it up to 3,500 rpms three times and shut it down," or "changed oil." >> according to keith's log, the odometer shows just 2,600 miles when he marries. he won't put very many miles on it after that. even if he wanted to, he won't get the chance. when he's just 30 years old, he's diagnosed with testicular cancer. >> he was sick, in and out of the hospital a lot. >> the disease makes a long, ch tough his body. in 1992, at age 48, keith's prognosis becomes dire. matt, now 28 and living on his own, moves back to his childhood home

in suburban chicago to help his mom take care of his dad. >> you could just see that, from such a strong guy, that the cancer was just eating him alive, literally. >> on nights when keith is in too much pain to sleep, matt stays up with him, and they talk all night. >> he kind of opened up a lot about his time in vietnam, and it was difficult for him. >> and he entrusts matt to drive his prized car for the first time. >> he knew the car had to be driven. he could no longer shift the car, so it just about killed him to say, "go ahead." >> keith knows the car he dreamed of in the vietnam jungle, bought for $5,000 in combat pay and meticulously maintained ever since is now worth a lot more than that, six figures, easy, so as death nears, he must decide what to do with it.

>> he was nervous that my brother might sell the car. he wanted to keep the car around as long as he could. >> when keith finally succumbs to cancer in 1993 at age 49, he leas e et to matt alone. >> i think that was kind of his way of saying thank you. >> but matt senses the rest of his family feels left on the side of the road. >> it left a little animosity with my brothers and sisters because my dad loved alsa, but because i inherited the car, there was always some tension there. >> that tension worries him. one day, he'll have to pass on this strange inheritance. what'll he do when he hits that fork in the road? we're really going to go for a ride? >> we're going for a ride. >> i'm ready. >> here is another quiz question for you...

the answer when we return. ♪ this is no ordinary puppy. he's a canine companions for independence® assistance dog in the making. ♪ born, raised and trained to rise to any challenge. ♪ partnered to give independence to a child, adult or veteran with a disability, entirely free of charge. ♪

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♪ >> it's arctic white, which made up 18% of new vettes sold, but if you guessed red, you're close. if you combine torch red and long beach red, the two shades add up to 20%. >> this 1967 corvette is the gift that vietnam soldier keith litavsky gives to himself for returning home alive. he buys it with his combat pay, maintains it meticulously, and drives it a mere 8,500 miles

until his death in 1993. >> he added a lot to the documentation of the car and the validity of it. for me, it was more sentimental just going through it and seeing in dad's handwriting how cool it was and how special. >> absolutely. his son matt knows he's inherited much more than a 26-year-old sports car but isn't sure what to do with it. >> it was years of prayers and, you know, saying, "hey, god, what do you want me to do with this car?" >> so he just maintains the classic even more fastidiously than his father had. >> the car has never been to a car show, you know. my neighbors didn't even know i had the car. >> oh, my. why would th? in the 2-plus decades after his dad dies, matt marries, starts his own family but racks up just 30 more miles on the corvette. he takes it out rarely for a quick drive around the block just to keep all the parts working. ah, sounds good, matt.

>> oh. >> ah, that smell, too. >> i just love that. >> it's a beautiful thing. >> smells like america. >> i love the way it looks. it looks like the day it came out of the showroom. >> i've done my best.>> but wats don't know about his strange inheritance, rumors abound in corvette world. >> i think you're right about that. >> it was sort of an urban legend for a long time, that there was this impeccly original, pristinely kept 1967 corvette. corvette enthusiasts, in particular, go crazy over mint-condition, unrestored, original cars. >> really big-money enthusiasts like former racecar owner gary runyon and his wife, jackie, of carmel, indiana. so what is it about the corvette that you think has captured america? >> you know, you have lamborghinis, and you got ferraris and all types of european cars, but the erican sports car has always been noted as the corvette.

>> like the runyons' super-rare 1957 airbox, only3 of them were mad and their serial number 001, the first off the assembly line in 1965. couple are always ready to add to their collection. what is your criteria? >> aeanrestored, original engine, transmission, original interiorand a orbehind. >> well, there's certainly a great story behind matt's corvette unless everything he thought he knew about his strange inheritance is wrong. >> original, unrestored '67 corvettes, there's a little, tiny dot. i don't see it. >> and something is fishy because that's not there. >> what's your "strange inheritance" story? we'd love to tell it. send me an e-mail or go to our website, strangeinheritance.com. hi.i just wanted to tell you that chevy won a j.d.power

dependability award for its midsize car-the chevy malibu. i forgot. chevy also won a j.d. power dependability award for its light-duty truck the chevy silverado. oh, and since the chevy equinox and traverse also won chis the on e j. power dendabiliaward across cars, trucks and suvs-three yea in a ro phew. third time's the charm... my twin brother jacob has an autism spectrum disorder i remember one moment after g at school all day and i remember him getting into the car just balling... and saying: "mom, i have no friends" "why don't i have any friends?" it broke my heart.

♪brother let me be your shelter♪ ♪never leave you all alone that was the moment when i realized that i needed to do something about this. i needed to make a difference in his life. go! and i knew that if i could help him find a friend, i could help teach other people that including people with differences is the right thing to do. ♪bring it home ♪brother let me be your shelter♪ that was the inspiration behind my non-profit "score a friend" educating people to include the people with differences is so important because when jacob's included he feels like he can succeed in life and he feels like he actually has a purpose. home♪ [music playing, goats bleating]

[goat bleating]

>> now, back to "strange inheritance." >> in 1993, vietnam veteran keith litavsky dies and leaves his son, matt, his '67 corvette stingray. off we go. since then, it's hardly left matt's garage except for short drives to keep it running right. what's this? >> that's a st. christopher medal for the patron saint of travelers. >> yeah. >> so he kept it in here because he felt like it would keep the car safe. >> oh, really? >> and, yeah, so i thought it should stay with the car. >> it's wonderful. but by 2016, matt is in his 50s and wondering about what would happen to the corvette if something were thim. he knows a pristine, unrestored is worth a fortune and recalls the tension among his siblings after his father left the car solely to him. >> i have two boys and a daughter, and splitting a car three ways is not easy.

>> mm. >> splitting money three ways is a lot eier. >> after a lot of soul-searching, dides it's time. >> so it was a decision that, honestly, i prayed for, for years. >> matt brings the corvett and his father's story to mecum auctions in wisconsin. remember john kraman? he's their director of consignments, and they discover a big problem. >> part of the build process of the very unique fiberglass body of the corvette has a little mold dot that's just part of the normal nufacturing process. you know, imagine our surprise that that little hood-channel dot is missing. >> it's t the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. >> david burroughs, mecum's automobile authentication expert, pinpoints the problem for me. >> so if you count in 13 of these ribs, it would be right about in the center of this little gutter. >> but it's missing.

>> so restored cars, that gets all sanded off to make it look pretty and shiny, and then that little fingerprint gets obliterated, and so that implies that this car has been either restored, or at least something is fishy. >> i knew what i had, and i knew everything i had was genuine and real. >> that one little dot could be the difference between someone believing you and not believing you. and a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction, but how do you prove what was or wasn't done to a 50-year-old car? the mecum team scrambles. they track down other '67 corvettes manufactured around the same time. >> we were able to collect photos of unrestored cars in this vin range and the serial numbers where this car fits in that vin range. >> all '67s? >> oh, yes, and none of them had the dot. >> dot mystery solved. >> it's a home run in the world series.

>> may 20, 2017, the '67 corvette, along with all of its documentation, after it was sold tock 50 years corporal keith richard litavsky, who gave himself a present for returning home from battle alive...he 1967 corg its way into the building with matt litavsky behind the wheel. >> ...and with a heartfelt tribute in honor of matt's father. [ "taps" playing ] >> they just really paid a great tribute to my dad and the car. >> and here we go. start the bid! >> befitting a classic american sports car, would-be buyers maneuver fast and furiously to own the corvette with the classic american story. the bidding starts at 100k. >> three, four,

$ 300,000, on the bid... >> it's off to the races. >> five, now $500,000, anybody? >> it blows through the half-mil mark in seconds. >> got 75, 25, go 25! >> and then... >> sold, $675,000! >> you may recognize that gentleman there in the checked shirt. that is gary runyon with his wife, jackie. >> that same husband-and-wife team, the rare-car collectors we met earlier in indiana. >> it was totally unrestored, absolutely gorgeous. i gave a thumbs up and a head nod, and gary said, "you just purchased that car." >> i see tears of joy. it appears that this story is going to have a happy ending. >> it will. yes. >> matt was a great caretaker for his dad's vehicle, and to be frank with you, i believe that's exactly what jackie and i are. >> again, god answered my prayer. i didn't pray for money.

i prayed for it to go to a good home. >> of course, that $675,000 will go a long way, but the values inherited from his dad will go even farther. what are you thinking? >> i was just thinking about how he... i think he instilled in all my brothers and sisters a lot of perseverance and just getting through anything. didn't matter what it was, you'll get through it >> what did he teach you about america? >> you know what? it's the land of the free, home of the brave, and there's no bs there. >> even though the corvette has en around now for more than 60 years, it's nowhere near retirement. in fact, it's become a verb. corvette lovers like to say they're "vetting," an apropos phrase for matt's father, the vet who loved his vette. i'm jamie colby.

thanks so much for watching "strange inheritance." and remember -- you can't take it with you. >> it wasn't donald trump that passes sanctuary states. it wasn't california that was the highest staten the country. it was devin newsom and the democrats. cheryl:: republicans are hoping to win the governorship of california. while democrats are still looking for a blue way from last night's primaries to help them retake the u.s. house. all the latest server overnight primary results for you. tracee: technology stocks continued to lap the nasdaq to record highs. apple, amazon, m