The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa has an unusual mystery on its hands. The mystery has nothing to do with solving a crime — it’s more of a "what’ll we do with all this money?" kind of problem.

The situation, as made public on television news, is revealed when a transient, identified as John Richard Grant, died of natural causes while living at a motel in Sioux County.

Grant’s death is not what’s causing any kind of dilemma. Sgt. Van Voorst, of the Sioux Co. Sheriff’s Office, explained that in recent years Mr. Grant is known to have lived in Kansas, Minnesota and Illinois. He traveled around in an old model van which was parked outside of his room at the motel. He used post office boxes for an address and had no criminal record. "Basically, that’s all that we know about Mr. Grant," the sergeant said.

I almost forgot — there is one more thing. After Mr. Grant died, deputies checked his room and found lots of personal papers, a gold watch, and some $50 and $100 bills stuffed inside cassette tape cases. By the time the deputies finished counting, the money added up to $263,000.

"Now that’s a piece of money," said an investigator. "But wouldn’t you think some relative would’ve stepped forward by now to claim all that money?" So far nobody has.

Sgt. Van Voorst said Mr. Grant, was 82 years old, and was a veteran of the U. S. Navy, probably serving during WW II. He may have a brother working as a harbor master somewhere in the Far East.

As a U. S. Navy veteran, Mr. Grant was put to rest on April 17 in the Keokuk National Cemetery. And that’s about all that’s known about the mystery man with more than a quarter million bucks.