Huguette Clark Potential Heir Found Dead Under Overpass
Huguette Clark's potential heir has reportedly been found dead after living a life of homelessness. Clark was the heiress to the copper mining fortune of her father and died in New York City aged 104.
Clark's heir, Timothy Henry Gray, 60, was found under an overpass in Wyoming, NBC News reported. He was her half great-nephew and the next of kin to the reclusive Clark who left nothing to her family. Gray was the adopted great-grandson of former United States Senator William Andrews Clark, making him eligible to inherit $19 million from the estate.
Now, though, 19 relatives are challenging Gray's estate and demanding their fair share of the fortune. If they win their argument, they would each be entitled to approximately $19 million. Gray reportedly had no wife or children, and his estate would be divided among his siblings.
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NBC News reported that Gray was found dead of hypothermia, leading to the belief that he was homeless. An older brother named Jerry told NBC, "If we had proper mental health services in this country, we could have been notified and known to do something."
The story of Huguette is just as tragic, with reports of her living the life of a recluse in her Fifth Avenue apartment. She died alone, at the age of 104, having amassed a net worth of nearly $307 million. Clark never married or had any children but decided to leave her fortune to be split among her nurse, a goddaughter, her attorney, and other employees, according to NBC.
Family members have challenged her will, stating that she was manipulated into signing over her estate to those named.
"It does not appear that anyone in a position of power or authority ever intervened to ensure that Mrs. Clark possessed the requisite capacity to make gifts and was acting of her own free will," Deputy Public Administrator Joy Thompson wrote in her filing in May.
Clark died in 2011 at Beth Israel Hospital, where she reportedly spent her last days.
"Madame Clark's passing is a sad event for everyone who loved and respected her over the years. She died as she wanted, with dignity and privacy," Michael McKeon, her spokesman, said in a public statement.
