Alan Schnitker crashed his BMW at over 100 mph in 2007, ending his life and leaving his family to sort out the wreckage of his estate, at one time valued at near $3 million.

A Buchanan County jury this week ruled against his mother's claim to his estate, in effect leaving the estate to his only child, Kyler Janovec, a son who doesn't have his same last name.

About three weeks after Mr. Schnitker's death, his mother, Marcia Schnitker, claimed she found his will in the glove box of an old Ford truck on her farm. The two-sentence will would've left $20,000 to Mr. Janovec and the remaining estate to her.

"We contested the validity of the will, and after seven days of trial, the jury agreed that was not the last valid will of Alan Schnitker," said Joe Elliott, an attorney for Mr. Janovec.

The weeklong trial included testimony from handwriting experts.

One of Ms. Schnitker's attorneys, Dan Boulware, said he plans to appeal for a new trial because "pertinent and relative evidence" was "improperly excluded by the trial court."

"That verdict was a tragedy, because that was the will of Alan Schnitker," Mr. Boulware said.

Mr. Schnitker, 46, died Aug. 11, 2007, in a fiery crash east of St. Joseph. A Buchanan County sheriff's deputy reported that he clocked Mr. Schnitker's 2006 BMW at 95 mph on Missouri Highway 6 near State Route Z, heading toward St. Joseph.

Mr. Schnitker later reportedly topped 104 mph before losing control of the car, leaving the road and crashing into a utility pole.

The estate included about 1,000 acres near Union Star, Mo., in DeKalb and Andrew counties, plus large machinery and vehicles. At one time it was valued near $3 million, though it's reportedly no longer worth that much.

Retired Clay County Judge Michael Maloney presided over the trial.

Joe Blumberg can be reached

at joeblumberg@npgco.com.