Nevada man dies
with $200 in bank, $7M in gold hidden inside home by Associated Press
| Published September 17, 2012
A Carson City, Nev., recluse whose body was found in his
home at least a month after he died left only $200 in his
bank account.
But as Walter Samaszko Jr.'s house was being cleared for
sale, officials made a surprise discovery: gold bars and
coins valued at $7 million.
"Nobody had any clue he was hoarding the gold,"
Carson City Clerk-Recorder Alan Glover told the Las Vegas
Sun, adding it was found stored in boxes in the house and
garage.
The 69-year-old Samaszko was found dead in his home in late
June after neighbors called authorities. He had been dead
of heart problems for at least a month, according to the
coroner.
He had lived in the house since the 1960s, and his mother
lived with him until her death in 1992.
He left no will and had no apparent close relatives. But
using a list of those who attended the mother's funeral,
Glover's office tracked down Arlene Magdanz, a first cousin
in San Rafael, Calif., the Sun reported.
A recording said her phone number had been disconnected.
"Our goal is to get the most money for the heir,"
Glover said.
The gold coins had been minted as early as the 1840s in
such countries as Mexico, England, Austria and South Africa,
he said.
Based on just the weight of the gold alone, Glover estimates
their worth at $7 million. Because some of the coins appear
to be collector's items, the value could go much higher,
he said.
Neighbors told authorities they knew little about Samaszko
other than he was quiet and not a problem.
Samaszko was "anti-government," Carson City's
Nevada Appeal reported, and a few conspiracy theory books
were found in the home along with several guns.
"He never went to a doctor," Glover told the newspaper.
"He was obsessed with getting diseases from shots."
Samaszko also had stock accounts of more than $165,000 and
another $12,000 in cash at the house.
Glover said he wants to start selling off the gold as soon
as possible. The IRS wants a share of the total, he said,
and the case is relatively simple other than the agency's
involvement.
"At least you don't have 12 relatives fighting,"
Glover told the Appeal.