A woman named Cathy Boone died homeless while living on the streets of Astoria, Oregon, although she had inherited a small fortune.
The state held onto over $800,000 of the unclaimed money when the 49-year-old died in January 2020, KGW reported Wednesday.
“It just didn’t make any sense to me. That money was just sitting there, and she needed help in the worst way,” Jack Spithill, Boone’s dad, said.
Boone suffered from mental health problems and drug abuse, Spithill explained, adding, “She had a rough life but when she was good, she was really good.”
She was well-known at the Astoria Warming Shelter and unlike many of those who slept in their clothes, she always made the extra effort to don pajamas at night, according to friends.
Boone grew up in the Portland area but her parents separated when she was little. Her dad tried to stay connected with her.
When her mother passed away in 2016, Boone relapsed into drug abuse, her father said.
The KGW article continued:
Court records show after her mother died, an attorney and personal representative assigned to her mother’s estate tried to locate Boone. They took out advertisements in the local newspaper, messaged her on Facebook, emailed family members and tried reaching Boone by phone. A private investigator hired to find Boone also came up empty.
In July 2019, a Clatsop County judge ordered $884,407 of the estate’s assets be sent to the Department of State Lands, which handles unclaimed money from estates where heirs cannot be located or refuse payment.
It is unknown if Boone knew the money belonged to her or if she understood how to claim it, according to her dad, who added he deeply regrets not being able to help her.
Boone experienced breathing problems while staying at the warming shelter and was rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Portland where she later passed away.
“In October, Oregon Department of State Lands paid $884,000 to the personal representative of the estate of Cathy Boone. Court records indicate the estate is working to identify all persons who might have claims to the money, including her two biological children,” the KGW report concluded.