The Stranger Who Inherited Grandpa's House - Found Two Days Too Late

The Stranger Who Inherited Grandpa's House - Found Two Days Too Late Cold comfort and quiet planning: a gas meter reader found a zero reading and curtains never opened, and two days after Harold Watson died a notarized will appeared leaving his $212,000 estate and paid-off house to a stranger named Gary Peterson. How did a man who visited every Sunday and kept meticulous notes miss the person who stepped into his father’s life and into his will? In this episode, we tell what happened from the first zero reading to the discovery of the will and trace how Gary Peterson entered Harold’s life, the changes in Harold’s routine, and the small missed warning from Harold’s financial advisor - could the answers be in the visits, the key, or the timing of that notarized document? Person: Harold Watson Age: 71 Date: third Tuesday of May 2014 (discovery) and will dated May 3, 2014 Location: 4 Darrow Terrace, Millhaven, Indiana Estate value: $212,000 - Gas meter reading at 4 Darrow Terrace was exactly zero on the third Tuesday of May 2014. - Harold Watson was found seated in his armchair, dressed with shirt pressed and trousers on, died of a cardiac event in late April or very early May 2014. - A notarized will dated May 3, 2014 left the house and entire $212,000 estate to Gary Peterson. - Rebecca Watson drove forty minutes each way every Sunday for eleven years to visit her father. - Gary Peterson first appeared in Harold’s life in June 2013 after a car breakdown on Route Nine and by October 2013 had been introduced to Harold’s financial advisor as a business partner. To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com. © 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved. This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].