MOUNTAIN CENTER, Calif. — A Riverside County judge signed off on a petition to sell the first of three properties near Idyllwild owned by missing woman Dia Abrams.
The court-appointed trustee of Abrams’ estate appeared remotely on March 8 in Palm Springs probate court seeking to sell the house and property located at 36581 Tool Box Spring Road in Mountain Center for the high offer of $830,000.
Trustee Richard Munro said he had listed the 5-acre property for sale seven months ago. The current asking price is $850,000.
“There is a two-story residence of approximately 3,383 square feet, which includes a main residence and separate apartment ideal for housing an extended family, along with a multi-stable horse barn with water, shower and toilet facilities. Surrounding properties are mostly substantial residences with equestrian facilities. The Tool Box Spring Property is fully fenced into paddocks for horses and animals, and the entire property is reticulated for water and electricity,” Munro’s declaration stated.
Munro told the judge he intended to seek the court’s permission to sell a second property owned by Abrams “in the next month or two.” The 15-acre Sky High Ranch is located at 28893 Bonita Vista Road and currently is listed for $298,000.
Most of the money from the sale of the Tool Box Spring property will go to pay off the existing mortgage, including mortgage payment in default since April 2020, according to court filings. The mortgage holder is JPMorgan Chase. The property sale is “expected to result in full payment of the outstanding mortgage payoff quote of $778, 127” the petition said.
Abrams, 65, went missing on June 6, 2020 from her Bonita Vista Ranch in Mountain Center. Her body has not been located despite intense searches.
The probate court petition indicated that septic tanks on the Tool Box Spring property had been inspected.
“To prepare the property for sale and in order to attract purchasers, and perform essential maintenance on the property prior to sale, the Trustee paid various contractors approximately $23,867.00 since August of 2023 to, among other things, empty and inspect two septic tanks, clear dead trees and overgrown grass, trim shrubs and trees, repair a leaking underground gas line from one of the two outdoor propane tanks to the residence, repair internal toilet and kitchen faucet appliances in the residence, and repair leaking water piping and taps in paddocks on the property,” the court record stated.
Abrams’ ranch hand, Keith Harper, said he was the last person to see Abrams alive on the ranch. Harper claimed she went missing while he was mowing the meadow on the 117-acre ranch. Abrams truck, purse and cell phone were left behind at the ranch.
The Bonita Vista Ranch, located at 58111 Bonita Vista Rd, has not been listed for sale by the court-appointed trustee.
In November, a Riverside County probate judge removed Harper as co-trustee of the Abrams estate, after he allegedly tried to list the Bonita Vista Ranch for sale in violation of court orders.
Harper, 74, who has claimed to be Abrams’ fiancé, stipulated to vacate the ranch. He moved off the property on Jan. 29. His current address remains unknown, though as a sex offender he is required to register with local law enforcement.
Harper, Abrams’ adult children, and Munro stipulated to the sale of the Tool Box Spring property.
Munro is charged with liquidating Abrams’ estate. Under a March 2023 settlement agreement between the parties, if Abrams is not located by June 6, 2025, 50% of her liquidated estate will go to her adult children, Crisara and Clinton Abrams. The other 50% would go to Harper.
The trustee has posted a $300,000 reward for information that leads to the discovery of Abrams’ remains and the conviction of a suspect in her disappearance.
WATCH: Keith Harper deposition excerpts:
