Teacher sole heir of $7.4M gold coin fortune

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A substitute teacher from California has been declared the sole heir to a fortune in gold coins found in the Nevada home of a cousin who died this summer. First District Judge James Wilson signed an order today certifying Arlene Magdanz of San Rafael as the rightful heir to the $7.4 million left by Walter Samaszko, Jr. Her 69-year-old cousin had died from heart problems about a month before authorities discovered his body in late June. A crew sent to clean out his house found piles of gold stashed away in the garage of his modest ranch-style home. Magdanz has not commented on her newfound wealth. Carson City clerk Alan Glover, the public administrator handling her estate, says she’s gone into hiding and won’t tell him where.