Unusual Holographic Will of Murderer

On July 14, 2007, David M. Munis murdered his wife using the sniper skills he learned while in the military.  Then, on July 17, 2007, he committed suicide.

He left behind a very unusual holographic will written on a “shallow cardboard box he had opened up so he could write on the insides of the two flaps and on the bottom. He also wrote notes on paper plates, a napkin and what appeared to be a small cutting board.”

Here is a description of the contents of his will from Bob Moen, Wyo. sniper scrawled wishes on plates, Miami Harold, Sept. 11, 2007:

In two notes to his youngest son, Munis wrote, “Rory, You remember each and every day how much your Daddy loves you. I’m going to be with Grandpa George and your mom. We will be watching you … always. Make us proud.”

Later, Munis asked his brother to teach his son “to hunt, be a man, and live his life with loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.”

Outside the box, which had mangled packaging tape around the edges and down the flaps, Munis wrote: “To Be Opened By the Munis Family.” On one edge of the box, he wrote: “Sorry this All I Had.”

Inside the box, there was a paper plate on which he wrote that one of his two stepsons was to receive “the Ultra-Mag” – likely a type of rifle – and the second stepson “gets whichever gun he wants.”

He wrote that he loved both and again apologized that the note “is such a mess.”

Munis took up both the inside flaps and the box bottom with his will, financial assets and funeral arrangements. Under “Funeral,” he asked to be cremated and his ashes spread over a wilderness area in Montana, where he grew up.

On another paper plate he wrote: “To change who I used to be. A reason to start over new. And the reason is you.” On the back, his writing included: “One More Song At Funeral: ‘The Reason Is You'” and “Dedicated to Robin The Love of My Life.”

He also asked that “all contents of the house (what little is left after Robin took everything) is to be divided equally among” his brothers and sister.

In the same section, he gave his boat to one brother and instructed the other to give the contents of his gun safe to his youngest son “when you feel he is old enough.”

Special thanks to Jaume Canaves (J.D. Candidate, Texas Tech University School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.