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The Investigation: A Former FBI Agent Uncovers the Truth Behind Howard Hughes, Melvin Dummar, and the Most Contested Will in American History
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.
- GenresNonfiction
263 pages, Hardcover
First published December 25, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 25, 2018
A former FBI agent investigates the Mormon will of Howard Hughes and decides Melvin Dummar was screwed. I believe him, although the book isn't that great.
July 9, 2021
There's good, fun, pulpy non-fiction and then there's this poorly written, badly researched attempt at raking in a few bucks at the expense of others. Not a fan of this book.
June 7, 2009
I actually read this about a year ago and skimmed through it again, but I wanted to add it to my list because it has been in the news again and the injustice of the whole thing just kills me!
This is the story, which sounds more like an urban legend than anything. Slightly doofy Melvin Dummar (a Utahn)shows up one day with a will, naming him as an inheritor of billionaire Howard Hughes' estate. Hughes' lawyers say no way, the will is fake -and it seems like this is true. Dummar claims that one night in the desert he picked up Hughes who was walking along the roadside. He gave him a ride and never saw him again. Sounds unbelieveable, right? Hughes was a recluse, never left his hotel, famous for his eccentricities, died a lonely billionaire.
But - it IS true! Magnesen, a former FBI agent decides that he's going to look into this story and ends up uncovering several bits of information which actually prove that Hughes was in the desert the night Dumar claims to have found him, and also finds evidence that Hughes' aids and lawyers have covered up these facts. It just killed me. Although there is some room for doubt, I totally believed Mangesen and Dummar at the end - not Hughes' creepy employees.
I went to Barnes & Noble when this book came out (having read it from the library) expecting to hear a lecture or something, but it was in fact a book signing. Melvin Dummar and Magnesen were both there, Dummar in an ill-fitting plaid shirt, obviously trying to look dressed up. I just thought it was so tragic - this kind of goofy guy who honestly deserved that money Hughes left him and has never received it. A court just turned down his request for a new trial about the will. Incidentally, Hughes also left the LDS church a portion of his will (he liked the clean living LDS, apprently). It doesn't sound like much, but 1/16 of Hughes' will is MILLIONS of dollars.
So, read this, if you like incredible stories. I liked the urban-legendness of it all and liked that it was true. My mom and grandparents read it too, and they all believe as I do that Dummar is absolutely telling the truth.
This is the story, which sounds more like an urban legend than anything. Slightly doofy Melvin Dummar (a Utahn)shows up one day with a will, naming him as an inheritor of billionaire Howard Hughes' estate. Hughes' lawyers say no way, the will is fake -and it seems like this is true. Dummar claims that one night in the desert he picked up Hughes who was walking along the roadside. He gave him a ride and never saw him again. Sounds unbelieveable, right? Hughes was a recluse, never left his hotel, famous for his eccentricities, died a lonely billionaire.
But - it IS true! Magnesen, a former FBI agent decides that he's going to look into this story and ends up uncovering several bits of information which actually prove that Hughes was in the desert the night Dumar claims to have found him, and also finds evidence that Hughes' aids and lawyers have covered up these facts. It just killed me. Although there is some room for doubt, I totally believed Mangesen and Dummar at the end - not Hughes' creepy employees.
I went to Barnes & Noble when this book came out (having read it from the library) expecting to hear a lecture or something, but it was in fact a book signing. Melvin Dummar and Magnesen were both there, Dummar in an ill-fitting plaid shirt, obviously trying to look dressed up. I just thought it was so tragic - this kind of goofy guy who honestly deserved that money Hughes left him and has never received it. A court just turned down his request for a new trial about the will. Incidentally, Hughes also left the LDS church a portion of his will (he liked the clean living LDS, apprently). It doesn't sound like much, but 1/16 of Hughes' will is MILLIONS of dollars.
So, read this, if you like incredible stories. I liked the urban-legendness of it all and liked that it was true. My mom and grandparents read it too, and they all believe as I do that Dummar is absolutely telling the truth.
February 25, 2015
This is not a Howard Hughes biography - rather, the author was seeking to solve 2 issues - was the Mormon will genuine, and did Melvin Dummar rescue Hughes from hypothermia on a remote Nevada highway in 1967. My purpose in reading it was to see if his investigation led him to witnesses who have tried to reveal the truth in the past. He did that and more, reading trial transcripts and interviewing witnesses never before heard from publicly. The writing is a bit repetitive, owing to the need to view the evidence in a logical progression.
July 14, 2008
Poorly written, but still a pretty important book. Melvin ?, who's life and woebegone times are chronicled in the movie "Melvin and Howard", claimed to have picked up Howard Hughes in the desert and ferried him safely "home" to his hotel. Melvin was subsequently named as an heir in Hughes's will. Everyone including a judge thought that Melvin was a money-grubbing liar. Mr. Magnesen does a good job of proving that Melvin was actually telling the truth.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews