World War II veteran Harry Donovan of Indianapolis, Indiana, bought a Ford Mustang for his wife, Marie, way back in 1969. When he decided to renovate the car in 2009 in her memory, he trusted the wrong mechanic.
But his granddaughter didn’t give up.
Donovan, 95, flew 23 missions into Germany as a B-17 pilot. After the war, he flew prisoners of war home safely. Marie Donovan drove the 1967 Mustang for nearly 50 years until she passed away in 2000, according to IndyStar. And Donovan wanted to restore the car to “show room” condition in honor of his wife.
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Then the unexpected happened.
His granddaughter said on the GoFundMe page, “After paying for the work, Harry got his car back, but not only was it not restored — it was missing the engine, transmission, hood, radiator and some other parts.”
Here’s what transpired. The local mechanic, Dennis E. Lee, had worked on Donovan’s cars before. However, Lee offered Donovan a price much lower than others — yet continued to have a series of delays.
Almost a year after Donovan’s service request, Lee emailed Donovan’s daughter-in-law, Cheryle Donovan, apologizing for the delay.
“Please tell Harry I haven’t forgotten him and that I did actually have some good news for him and … all of my priorities were rearranged drastically,” said Lee, according to IndyStar. “I hope you guys don’t look unfavorably on me since this has happened because I do and always have had the honest intention of simply wanting to help.”
“I would like to have the Mustang in ‘show room’ condition as promised,” Donovan wrote. “Fair is fair.”
Still he made excuses. Two weeks later, Cheryle Donovan reportedly received another email from Lee saying he would still be unable to work on the Mustang.
In a letter, Donovan explained he had been fair with Lee, paying all dues that were required for the restoration of his car. He was also patient about rescheduling.
“I would like to have the Mustang in ‘Show Room’ condition as promised,” Donovan wrote in a letter, according to IndyStar. “Fair is fair. Please do your part.”
“The delays dragged on until August 2011. Donovan wrote the first of six additional checks — totaling more than $5,800 — to get the long restoration project back on track,” the publication also reported.
However, Lee disappeared soon after — and the Donovans could not locate him. Finally, Donovan reported his car had been stolen on August 13, 2012, to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD).
The IMPD viewed the claim as a “civil matter,” IndyStar reported‚ and the Donovans continued their outreach to Lee with little success.
After a year, Donovan saw Lee’s picture in the newspaper. Lee had been admitted to the hospital for a heroin overdose. He fled the Noblesville hospital on June 6, 2014.
The police found and arrested Lee in Indianapolis later that day. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance, theft and failure to appear in court, according to IndyStar.
But the Donovans continued looking for the 1967 Mustang. When one of Donovan’s connections, a police officer, finally drove them by Lee’s girlfriend’s house in the town of Cicero — they saw the skeleton of the car sitting in the driveway.
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Lee accepted a plea deal on November 2, 2014, the IndyStar noted. Prosecutors were apparently not aware of Donovan’s previously reported claims concerning his missing Mustang.
Multiple efforts were made to contact Lee and his wife. There is still discussion as to whether or not this is a civil matter. The slow response time was also a concern for the Donovan family.
After more than five years, Granddaughter Danielle Moran started a GoFundMe campaign to support her grandpa’s wish — and in retaliation for the scam the mechanic pulled on her grandfather. Any additional proceeds she might raise will be donated to a veterans charity.
As of September 12, his family had raised $10,919 of their projected $20,000 goal. The day after, they hit $15,160 in just one month on the GoFundMe page. Other people can still contribute if they would like. The page is located here: https://www.gofundme.com/2fvtaas.
“Thank you very much,” wrote granddaughter Moran on the GoFundMe page. “This would mean the world to my grandpa.”
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