The numbers vary, but the estate she left was estimated to be between $8 and $15 million. Because she left no will, her death thus launched a large-scale court battle for control of her large fortune and holdings. In the years after her death, many potential heirs fought each other for the money. 42 distant relatives of Abel Stearns tried to claim the estate, but a Los Angeles judge ruled that their rights were terminated by the marriage of de Stearns Baker to Colonel Baker, so they eventually settled for 10%. In the end, the rest of the estate was distributed among de Stearns Baker's relatives.