Woman Leaves Her $300,000 Net Worth To Actor Bronson

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A star-struck fan has carried her obsession with Charles Bronson to the grave.

Audrey Jean Knauer never met or corresponded with the actor, but left him her entire estate, worth nearly $300,000. Knauer's sister has contested the will, dated April 1996 and scribbled on a typed list of emergency phone numbers.

Knauer, who died in 1997 at the age of 55, asked that nothing - not "blood, body parts, financial assets" - go to her mother, Helen, and whatever Bronson didn't want be given to Louisville's public library.

Bronson has already received about half the money, but Knauer's sister, Nancy Koeper, filed a lawsuit two months ago, saying Knauer was mentally unfit and the money should go the family.

"This is a few really kind of like hysterical lines scribbled, scratched on top of a phone list," said Koeper, who lives in Chula Vista, Calif. "I can't help but sit here and think this could have taken care of me."

Relatives had thought Knauer's assets amounted to about $20,000. A lawyer for Koeper, Ed Schoenbaechler, said a handwritten will dated 1977 left everything to relatives.

"It's much more authentic," he said. "It was witnessed."

Lori Jonas, a spokeswoman for the 77-year-old Bronson, told the New York Post that Bronson will give the money to charity.

Koeper said her sister was obsessed with Bronson, the macho actor who starred in several "Death Wish" movies. "She saw him as this avenging person who was generous and kind, kind of a father figure."

Library director Craig Buthod said he hopes Bronson will give the money - enough to buy 15,000 to 20,000 books - to the library.

If given the chance, Koeper said she would appeal to Bronson: "You didn't know her, you didn't love her. I did."