
Howard Hughes $156M Will Hoax: The Infamous Las Vegas Desert Rescue Myth Debunked
Howard Hughes left $156M in his will to Melvin Dummar, a gas station worker who claimed to have given Hughes a ride in 1967 - but this popular story is likely false according to experts.
According to Dummar's account, he found a beaten Hughes on the side of US Route 95 near the Cottontail Ranch brothel and drove him to Las Vegas. Nine years later, after Hughes' death, Dummar claimed he received a will leaving him 1/16th of Hughes' $12 billion fortune.
However, multiple factors discredit this story:
- Hughes never left his Desert Inn penthouse room during this period, according to Hughes scholar Geoff Schumacher
- The "Mormon Will" contained obvious errors, including misspellings and references Hughes would never have made
- Hughes was severely ill and reclusive, making the story highly improbable
- The will was ruled a forgery by a Nevada jury in 1978

Man smiling with radio microphone
By 1966, Hughes was living as a recluse in Las Vegas, struggling with:
- Codeine addiction
- Poor personal hygiene despite germaphobia
- Severe physical deterioration
- Mental health challenges

Two men beside vintage car
When Hughes died in 1976, his condition was dire:
- Weighed only 90 lbs at 6'1"
- Had broken needles in his arms
- Died of kidney failure
- Was found with various drugs in his system

Howard Hughes sitting in car
While Dummar maintained his story until his death in 2018, evidence strongly suggests the will was fraudulent. Though a 2005 book by FBI agent Gary Magnesen attempted to support Dummar's claims, scholars remain unconvinced due to the overwhelming evidence against the story's possibility.
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