Heir Hunters

The Case of Benjamin L. “B.L.” and Sadie Hoffman

When B.L. and Sadie Hoffman died, they left behind $400,000 in unclaimed Montana oil and gas royalties that no one knew existed. What began as a routine scan of a new state unclaimed property list quickly became one of the Heir Hunters’ most puzzling cross-country cases. A single notary stamp on a 1926 deed led the team from Montana to Kansas City, where they found the Jewish immigrant couple in the census. Their only son, Lester, later surfaced in Lufkin, Texas, until he vanished after 1940. A shocking 1962 Galveston newspaper clipping revealed Lester had died on a beach during a Fourth of July weekend, lying on a tombstone-shaped beach towel. With no biological children, the trail seemed headed back to relatives in Russia. But a "Find a Grave" entry and Lester’s death certificate uncovered his wife Billy and her daughter Carolyn Feazell. A dramatic courthouse affidavit in Angelina County confirmed Billy was the sole heir under Texas law. After repeated ignored letters and a doorstep “doorknock” in Lufkin, the team finally signed the heirs. Months later, they returned to personally hand checks to Carolyn’s four children; grandchildren by marriage to the glamorous salesman they remembered as a larger-than-life character. From Russian Jewish immigrants to a mysterious Montana land deal and a tragic beach death, this is the unforgettable case of B.L., Sadie, and Lester Hoffman.

The Case of Mario Muller

In this gripping episode of Heir Hunters, hosts Shar Mansukhani and John Hilbert dive into one of their most shocking and poignant cases: the unclaimed estate of Mario Muller. Starting with a $300,000 dormant account in Louisiana from around 2006, the team uncovers that Mario, a talented executive chef in New Orleans, was tragically murdered in 1989. He was stabbed to death on his 55th birthday after a night out celebrating at a legendary gay bar in the French Quarter. What begins as a routine heir search spirals into a dark tale of love, betrayal, hustlers, and a brutal crime involving two young men, one of whom Mario treated like family. Through exhaustive research; including Social Security records, police files, court documents, and interviews - the investigators trace Mario's origins from New Orleans to Rio de Janeiro and back to his birthplace in Lucerne, Switzerland. The breakthrough comes when they discover Mario had a surviving sister, Dora, leading to an international journey filled with Swiss record offices, skeptical lawyers, and an emotional reunion. The case delivers unexpected twists: a bittersweet closure for Dora, who shares surprising family photos revealing a complex bond between Mario and his killer, and a reminder that heir hunting can uncover profound human stories far beyond forgotten fortunes. From murder mystery to heartfelt family resolution, this episode takes listeners on a globe-trotting adventure that challenges assumptions about crime, love, and legacy. Tune in for a true story that's equal parts heartbreaking, surprising, and ultimately moving.

The Case of Wanda Snarska

When Wanda Snarska died in Chicago in 1998, she left behind $250,000 and no known heirs. What began as a routine search for missing beneficiaries quickly spiraled into one of the most complex and globe-spanning cases the Heir Hunters team had ever tackled. Born moments after her White-Russian family stepped off a ship in San Francisco in 1921, Wanda was the only American-born child of Ignatius, a former Imperial Russian naval officer who fled the Bolshevik Revolution. The family’s harrowing escape took them from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, Harbin (China), Vladivostok, and the Philippines before finally reaching the United States. As Shar and John dig deeper, the trail reveals shocking twists: a brother imprisoned in Leavenworth for draft evasion, a deportation battle during the Red Scare, forged documents, and a mysterious prior marriage in Russia that could invalidate everything. Fifteen years of research stretch from Chicago courthouses to remote Russian archives, with competing heir hunters, questionable Russian heirs, and a dramatic courtroom showdown over a fortune sitting unclaimed in Cook County. In the end, a sworn 1940s deposition from Wanda’s terrified mother may hold the key to whether the money finally went to the right hands or if the true heirs are still out there, unaware of the inheritance waiting for them. A 15-year odyssey of revolution, deception, and one final jaw-dropping revelation: this is the unforgettable case of Wanda Snarska.