The Unluckiest Winner: Abraham Shakespeare's Lottery Tragedy in Plant City, Florida

Abraham Shakespeare's Unlikely Fortune

• 💡 Abraham Shakespeare, born in Lakeland, Florida, came from a poor family of seasonal orange pickers and struggled with illiteracy, dropping out of school in seventh grade.
• 📌 Despite a history of minor arrests and a prison sentence for assault, he was widely described as a kind, generous, and gentle giant.
• 💰 In November 2006, with only $5 in his wallet, Abraham won a $30 million lottery jackpot, opting for a lump sum of $17 million after taxes.

The "Santa Claus of Lakeland"

• ✨ Abraham immediately used his winnings to help others, paying off mortgages, covering funeral costs, giving large sums to homeless people, and providing significant financial gifts to family members.
• 🏡 He purchased a $1.1 million mansion in a gated community but continued to live modestly, shopping at Walmart and picking up pennies, embodying a "pennies make dollars" mentality.
• ⚠️ His immense generosity, however, made him a target, leading to constant requests for money and causing him to feel "better off broke" due to the relentless demands.

Dee Dee Moore's Deceptive Influence

• 🎭 Dee Dee Moore, a "successful businesswoman" with a hidden criminal past involving fraud, shoplifting, and faked crimes, met Abraham in 2008 and offered to write a book about his life.
• 🔑 She quickly became his financial advisor, gaining control over his remaining $3.5 million, his mansion, and his outstanding debts by transferring assets to her company, Abraham Shakespeare LLC.
• 🚗 Within 90 days, Dee Dee had effectively taken control of all his assets, using his money to buy expensive cars like a Hummer for herself and a Corvette for her boyfriend.

Abraham's Disappearance and Discovery

• 🗓️ Abraham was last seen alive on April 6, 2009, after which Dee Dee provided numerous conflicting stories about his whereabouts, ranging from traveling to being sick or having AIDS.
• 📱 His friends and family received suspicious text messages from his phone, which contained perfect grammar and spelling, unlike Abraham's usual communication, and were later traced to the same cell tower as Dee Dee's phone.
• 🕵️‍♂️ A combination of web sleuths and police investigation, including a wired conversation with Dee Dee's former friend Greg Smith, led to the discovery of Abraham's body buried under a concrete slab on property controlled by Dee Dee.

Justice for Abraham

• ⚖️ Dee Dee Moore was arrested and, during interrogation, offered multiple false narratives, including blaming a drug dealer, Abraham's cousin, or even her own 14-year-old son for the murder.
• 🔫 Evidence, including the murder weapon (a .38 caliber handgun registered to Dee Dee), recordings of her discussing burning the body, and her ex-husband's testimony about digging the grave, led to her conviction.
• 🚨 In 2012, Dee Dee Moore was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus an additional 25 years for firearm use.