Wheeling-Charleston diocese priest, Fr Anthony Wojtus, who lived like a
pauper at his West Virginia home and died in squalor, was actually a
millionaire whose fortune will be inherited by his siblings in Poland.
Twelve brothers and sisters in Poland will soon receive about $150,000 each from his $2 million estate, the Daily Mail reports.
For nearly three years, Chief Tax Deputy Allen Bleigh and members of the tax department have been investigating the estate of Father Anthony Wojtus. Following his death in 2007, the millionaire priest was discovered to have been living in squalor.
Wojtus left no will or known family members. The county was appointed as estate administrator shortly after the priest's death, leaving officials with the job of tracking down next of kin.
Bleigh said that 12 siblings have been found in Poland.
A 13th sibling was identified but never tracked down. Bleigh said the family has lost touch with the woman.
The estate included one building that was used as a home and one that was used as a chapel.
When authorities investigated the Cedar Grove home, they found trash piled knee-deep, as well as human fecal matter that Wojtus apparently saved for fertilizer.
The priest's only known source of income was a modest stipend from the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese. Wojtus often begged people for money for things like his cable bill, food and airline tickets, officials said.
But Bleigh does not suspect that any of the priest's wealth was obtained illegally.
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Relatives in Poland to benefit from estate of W.Va. priest (Daily Mail)