The Investigation: A Former FBI Agent Uncovers the Truth Behind Howard Hughes, Melvin Dummar, and the Most Contested Will in American History [Hardcover]

Gary Magnesen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

His curiosity piqued by an offhand comment by a relative, agent Magnesen launches his provate investigation into the controversial meeting between Howard Hughes and Melvin Dummar and the validityof the handwritten Howard Hughes Will which named Dummar as an heir.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 263 pages
• Publisher: Barricade Books; 1 edition (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569802947
• ISBN-13: 978-1569802946
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #910,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( H ) > Hughes, Howard

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How money and influence came to overcome truth., December 3, 2005

By 

Air Museum "Robert" (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Investigation: A Former FBI Agent Uncovers the Truth Behind Howard Hughes, Melvin Dummar, and the Most Contested Will in American History (Hardcover)

How Hughes's famous propensity for compartmentalizing his activities, keeping the right hand from knowing what the left was up to, ultimately defeated his wish to leave a portion of his immense fortune to the man who had saved his life. The debacles of the Simpson and Blake murder trials, and now the revelations of this miscarriage of justice, go to prove that given skilled attorneys and unlimited resources truth and justice need not prevail. Retired FBI agent Magnesen's investigative and narrative skills make a compelling case for the legitimacy of "The Mormon Will" and as a titillating aside, the story reveals Hughes's obsession for a certain lady of the evening.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Howard Hughes Mystery Solved, December 26, 2005

By 

Crack Reviewer (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Investigation: A Former FBI Agent Uncovers the Truth Behind Howard Hughes, Melvin Dummar, and the Most Contested Will in American History (Hardcover)

In 1976, eccentric and reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes died at that age of 70. At the time of his death, Hughes had managed to isolate himself from all but a few close aides. No one was aware of any Will that had been written by Hughes to dispose of his estate after death. One day, a man named Forsythe (who was an employee of Hughes) walked into the Willard, Utah gas station of Melvin Dummar and left Dummar a handwritten document that purported to be the Last Will and Testament of Howard Hughes. The will, presumably, had been given to Dummar because he was one of 16 heirs listed in the document.

A couple of years later, a trial was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. A jury found that the Will was a forgery and not Hughes Last Will and Testament. Dummar ended up with nothing.

This book is about an FBI agent who thirty years after the fact decide to investigate the controversy over the will. Startingly, he reaches a totally opposite conclusion than the court did. Author Gary Magnesen finds information no one had discovered at the time of trial. For example, Hughes owned the property that Melvin Dummar claimed he found him on when he gave him a ride. Most surprisingly, he locates a credible witness who is willing to testify he gave Hughes a plane ride to the area where Dummar found him the evening before.

Questions remain. Its possible inspite of Magnesen's research to question whether he reached the right conclusion. Dummar did not have an unblemished past and had been arrested once for forging a check. Also, Dummar initially lied about the Will. He claimed he knew nothing about it and finally ended up admitting he personally delivered to the headquarters of the LDS Church in Salt Lake City. Some competent handwriting experts testified that the Will was a forgery and was not in Howard Hughes handwriting (although other experts disagreed).

Magnesen clearly believes Dummar was the victim of a miscarriage of justice. I tend to agree. Although, every reader must judge for himself.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking, November 22, 2005

By 

Jennie M "Jennie" (Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Investigation: A Former FBI Agent Uncovers the Truth Behind Howard Hughes, Melvin Dummar, and the Most Contested Will in American History (Hardcover)

Congratulations to Gary Magnesen on his book. After reading it I am quite convinced that Howard Hughes' will was NOT a forgery. It would seem that Melvin Dummar's legal team were "in above their heads" and it appears that it cost not only Melvin Dummar but the other named entities in the will their rightful share of his estate. Mr. Magnesen's investigation is definitely very thought provoking - it's a shame he wasn't around when the trial was going on! Fascinating reading.