A California man whose girlfriend is missing allegedly tried to sell her multi-million-dollar estate before a judge stopped him and removed his control over the property, CBS8 reports.
The ruling came after years of legal wrangling between Keith Harper, 74, and the adult children of Dia Abrams, who was 65 years old when she vanished three years ago.
Harper and Abrams were dating when Abrams went missing on June 6, 2020, just two weeks after she amended a trust to include Harper as a co-trustee of a 117-acre ranch near Idyllwild she owned. Harper was living on the property at the time and continues to reside there.
So far no evidence has emerged publicly about what might have happened to Abrams. She has yet to be found, and Harper has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing.
But on Wednesday, Judge Russell Velasquez said Harper had no legal authority to sell the estate. During a court hearing in Palm Springs, Velasquez heard testimony that Harper had inquired with a real estate agent about putting the property up for sale.
Court records indicate that on August 10, Harper contacted real estate agent Jennine Daniels and claimed “he had owned the Bonita Vista property for sixteen years,” according to CBS8.
Previous Video Coverage
‘“He also told me that he believed the property was worth $5.2 million and that he would like it to be listed on the market starting in February of 2024,” Daniels said in a sworn declaration, according to CBS8.
Harper’s lawyer, Rob Schilling, first denied that his client had attempted to sell the estate, but after being confronted with text messages between Harper and Daniels, Schilling withdrew the objections.
Velasquez expressed concern about Harper’s inquiries with the real estate agent.
“My concerns are Mr. Harper’s alleged efforts to hypothecate property that he has no authority to hypothecate or sell,” Velasquez said at the hearing, according to CBS8.
Abrams’ adult children petitioned the court in 2021 to remove Harper as a trustee of their mother’s property.
Harper also is accused of mismanaging the property, including not filing tax returns, missing payments on the mortgage and failing to pay for fire insurance on time, the television station reports.
A $300,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to Abrams’ remains and an arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for her disappearance.
A court-appointed co-trustee has been directed to liquidate Abrams’ assets, including several rental properties.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:
[Feature Photo: Dia Abrams/Handout]
