Heir Hunters

Original Bear.
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  • TRUE CRIME

Heir Hunters is a captivating podcast hosted by professional heir hunters Shar Mansukhani and John Hilbert, who travel the globe to track down missing heirs entitled to billions in unclaimed estates and assets. Each episode explores a real-life case, blending genealogy, history, and detective work to uncover hidden family secrets; from revolutions and name changes to criminal twists and heartfelt reunions. Along the way, the hosts reveal how ordinary people can suddenly inherit fortunes they never knew existed.

Episodes

  1. The Case of Mario Muller

    JAN 20

    The Case of Mario Muller

    In this gripping episode of Heir Hunters, hosts Shar Mansukhani and John Hilbert dive into one of their most shocking and poignant cases: the unclaimed estate of Mario Muller. Starting with a $300,000 dormant account in Louisiana from around 2006, the team uncovers that Mario, a talented executive chef in New Orleans, was tragically murdered in 1989. He was stabbed to death on his 55th birthday after a night out celebrating at a legendary gay bar in the French Quarter. What begins as a routine heir search spirals into a dark tale of love, betrayal, hustlers, and a brutal crime involving two young men, one of whom Mario treated like family. Through exhaustive research; including Social Security records, police files, court documents, and interviews - the investigators trace Mario's origins from New Orleans to Rio de Janeiro and back to his birthplace in Lucerne, Switzerland. The breakthrough comes when they discover Mario had a surviving sister, Dora, leading to an international journey filled with Swiss record offices, skeptical lawyers, and an emotional reunion. The case delivers unexpected twists: a bittersweet closure for Dora, who shares surprising family photos revealing a complex bond between Mario and his killer, and a reminder that heir hunting can uncover profound human stories far beyond forgotten fortunes. From murder mystery to heartfelt family resolution, this episode takes listeners on a globe-trotting adventure that challenges assumptions about crime, love, and legacy. Tune in for a true story that's equal parts heartbreaking, surprising, and ultimately moving.

    32 min
  2. The Case of Wanda Snarska

    12/04/2025

    The Case of Wanda Snarska

    When Wanda Snarska died in Chicago in 1998, she left behind $250,000 and no known heirs. What began as a routine search for missing beneficiaries quickly spiraled into one of the most complex and globe-spanning cases the Heir Hunters team had ever tackled. Born moments after her White-Russian family stepped off a ship in San Francisco in 1921, Wanda was the only American-born child of Ignatius, a former Imperial Russian naval officer who fled the Bolshevik Revolution. The family’s harrowing escape took them from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, Harbin (China), Vladivostok, and the Philippines before finally reaching the United States. As Shar and John dig deeper, the trail reveals shocking twists: a brother imprisoned in Leavenworth for draft evasion, a deportation battle during the Red Scare, forged documents, and a mysterious prior marriage in Russia that could invalidate everything. Fifteen years of research stretch from Chicago courthouses to remote Russian archives, with competing heir hunters, questionable Russian heirs, and a dramatic courtroom showdown over a fortune sitting unclaimed in Cook County. In the end, a sworn 1940s deposition from Wanda’s terrified mother may hold the key to whether the money finally went to the right hands or if the true heirs are still out there, unaware of the inheritance waiting for them. A 15-year odyssey of revolution, deception, and one final jaw-dropping revelation: this is the unforgettable case of Wanda Snarska.

    49 min
  • 2 Episodes

About

Heir Hunters is a captivating podcast hosted by professional heir hunters Shar Mansukhani and John Hilbert, who travel the globe to track down missing heirs entitled to billions in unclaimed estates and assets. Each episode explores a real-life case, blending genealogy, history, and detective work to uncover hidden family secrets; from revolutions and name changes to criminal twists and heartfelt reunions. Along the way, the hosts reveal how ordinary people can suddenly inherit fortunes they never knew existed.

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