Jury awards millionaire's mistress $4.5 million

Jury awards millionaire's mistress $4.5 million


By TOM OPDYKE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/23/08

The mistress of a millionaire car dealer was awarded about $4.5 million from his estate by a Cobb County jury on Wednesday.

Anne Melican, who hooked up with Harvey Strother eight years before his death, had been seeking about $6 million that Strother gave her in three changes to his will. His estate is worth an estimated $38 million. Strother's family contended the changes were invalid because he spent his last years in a drunken haze and was influenced by Melican.

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The jury found in Melican's favor on two of the three changes, but sided with Strother's family and executor on the third change, one that would have given Melican clear ownership of two more properties and a yacht slip on Marco Island, Fla.

"I'm grateful, but I don't have anything else to say," the 60-year-old elementary psychologist said following the verdict.

Both sides said they will appeal portions of the verdict, and the appeals must be resolved before the will can be probated.

The seven women and five men on the jury heard seven days of testimony. Based on their verdict, Melican stands to get a monthly allowance of $7,900 retroactive to Strother's congestive heart failure death on Jan. 7, 2004.

In addition, she would receive the value of a Marco Island condominium Strother owned, but was sold after his death. Her lawyer, Doug Salyers, said it sold for $1.36 million. She also would receive lifetime health coverage