Abraham Shakespeare

Abraham Lee Shakespeare
Born (1966-04-24)April 24, 1966
Sebring, Florida
Died

ca. April 7, 2009(2009-04-07) (aged 42)

(Date of death is unconfirmed)
Plant City, Florida
Occupation Truck driver's assistant

Abraham Lee Shakespeare (April 24, 1966 ca. April 7, 2009) was an American casual laborer who won a $30 million lottery jackpot, receiving $17 million in 2006. In 2009, his family declared him missing, and in January 2010 his body was found buried under a concrete slab in the backyard of an acquaintance. Dorris "Dee Dee" Moore was convicted of his murder and is now serving life in prison without the possibility of parole.[1] Shakespeare's troubles began after winning the lottery. The case was profiled in the American E! television program Curse of the Lottery;[2] and also was made the subject of an episode of Snapped on Oxygen Channel, DTV, on March 16, 2014 as well as the subject of a 2013 episode of American Greed. The case also featured on Series 7 of Deadly Women.

Early life

Shakespeare dropped out of school after seventh grade and was illiterate. He was jailed after being convicted of a string of burglaries. Subsequently, he worked various labor pool jobs.[3]

Lottery

The Florida Lotto winning ticket worth $30 million was sold at a Town Star convenience store in Frostproof, Florida, on November 15, 2006.[4]

On that day, Abraham Shakespeare and co-worker Michael Ford were headed toward Miami when they stopped briefly at the convenience store in Frostproof to buy drinks and cigarettes. Ford got out of the truck and asked Shakespeare if he wanted a soda. Shakespeare instead asked Ford to buy him two Lottery tickets. Shakespeare said that he paid Ford $2 for the tickets out of the $5 he had on him that day.[5]

Michael Ford later approached Shakespeare demanding a share of the jackpot of no less than $1 million, which Shakespeare refused to pay, prompting Ford to sue Shakespeare and alleging that Shakespeare stole lottery tickets out of Ford's wallet.[5] The jury did not believe Ford's stolen lottery tickets story and Shakespeare prevailed in the courts.

Shakespeare had chosen a one-time, lump sum cash payment of $17 million.[6] He moved out of his working-class neighborhood in Lakeland, Florida and into a gated community.[3] Several months after his lottery win, apart from a $1 million home, his only other major purchases included a Nissan Altima and a Rolex watch from a pawnshop.[7] By late January 2010 the sheriff involved in the investigation of Shakespeare's disappearance told AP that the lottery money "is gone now."[8]

Friends stated Shakespeare had grown frustrated with the apparently constant appeals for money from both hangers-on and strangers. He told his brother, "I'd have been better off broke," and told a childhood friend, "I thought all these people were my friends, but then I realized all they want is just money."[1] One of these was Dorice Donegan "Dee-Dee" Moore, who launched a business with Shakespeare, Abraham Shakespeare LLC, giving herself control of the firm's funds. Moore subsequently withdrew $1 million and bought herself a Hummer, a Chevrolet Corvette and a truck before going on vacation. She later claimed that the money was a gift from Shakespeare.[3]

Missing status and death

On November 9, 2009, Shakespeare's family reported him missing, stating that they had not seen him since April of that year. Family and friends had originally hoped that he had taken his money and was living on a beach in the Caribbean Sea. A tip-off led investigators to the backyard of a home purchased by Moore, where Shakespeare's body was found buried under 5 feet (1.5 m) of dirt under a newly constructed concrete slab.[1] Shakespeare was 43.[3]

Hillsborough County detectives say Shakespeare died April 6 or 7 in the single-story ranch home in Plant City.[9] Police took Moore into custody on February 2, 2010, in connection with the murder of Shakespeare. A judge set a $1 million bond. She was charged as an accessory after the fact in first-degree murder. The police stated Moore had tried to convince an acquaintance to unearth the body and move it a week after the death, and had continued to try to convince others that Shakespeare was still alive.[10] On February 19, 2010, Dorice Donegan Moore was arrested on a charge of first degree murder.

Dee Dee Moore

Dorice Donegan "Dee Dee" Moore (born July 25, 1972) was the prime suspect for the death of Abraham Shakespeare. She was married to James Moore in 1992, and has a son born in 1995.

In 2001, Moore was convicted of insurance fraud and falsely reporting a crime. She got a year of probation. Moore filed for bankruptcy in 2002.

Investigation

Before police found Shakespeare's body, Moore said Shakespeare had decided to leave town and had gone to Texas; Jamaica; Puerto Rico; Orlando, Florida or was sick in a hospital. Moore also said that Shakespeare was sick of people asking him for money, so she helped him leave town.[3] After police found his body under a concrete slab, in the backyard of the home she put in her boyfriend's name, Moore told police different versions of what happened to Shakespeare. Moore in turn blamed drug dealers, a lawyer and her 14-year-old son.[11] She later said she killed Shakespeare in self-defense.[10]

Soon after Shakespeare disappeared, Moore, who was living in Shakespeare's house, kept using his cell phone and sending text messages to his friends and relatives, as though she were Shakespeare. Recipients thought they did not sound like him and were suspicious because Shakespeare was illiterate.[3][11] When people texted Shakespeare's phone back with questions that could not be answered by Moore, no response was given.[11]

During the same time that Moore was trying to make it appear that Shakespeare was alive, she tried to find a person who would take the blame for Shakespeare's death for $50,000. She also offered to pay someone to dig up and move Shakespeare's body to another location.[12]

Property records show that Moore's company, American Medical Professionals, bought Shakespeare's house.[1] Moore told investigators she paid Shakespeare $655,000 for his home and bought $185,000 for loans which were actually worth much more, which people owed him; however, there is no evidence showing she paid Shakespeare anything.[3]

Moore offered the mother of one of Shakespeare's two sons a $200,000 home if she would lie to detectives and tell them she had seen him recently. She also paid $5,000 to a relative of Shakespeare's to give his mother a birthday card and imply it was from him.[3]

Through the investigation of Moore, it was learned that she had once staged a scene to fraudulently keep a Lincoln Navigator which was in danger of being repossessed after falling behind on the payments. She had someone store the car in a garage and then pretended she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and carjacked. Investigators claimed she taped her wrists and threw herself from someone else's car. She even took a rape exam. She later pleaded no contest to the charge and received probation.[13]

Conviction and sentencing of Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore

On December 10, 2012, Dee Dee Moore was convicted of first degree murder for the killing of Abraham Shakespeare and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole with an additional minimum sentence of 25 years for possessing a gun in the course of a violent felony.[14]

In media

The difficulties Shakespeare experienced as a result of winning the lottery, including his murder, were the focus of the American E! television program Curse of the Lottery,[2] part of an episode of Lottery Changed My Life, and a 2013 episode of American Greed. A July 2013 episode of Deadly Women also profiled the case, focusing on Dorice Moore's role in his murder. Also, a September 2013 episode of Snapped focussed on Moore's murder trial. Moore was also featured in a 2011 episode of the television show Lockup while in the Hillsborough County Jail in Tampa, Florida awaiting her trial. She stated that she planned on selling the rights to her story in order to pay $200,000 to a lawyer who could get her out. Moore denied all charges.

Timeline

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Body of lottery winner found buried in Florida". BBC News. 30 January 2010. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 Curse of the Lottery 2; E!; September 11, 2010
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Stutzman, Rene (30 January 2010). "Polk man's sudden millions led to celebrity -- and tragedy". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  4. "Florida Lotto Winning Number"
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Lawsuit: Millionaire Stole Lotto Ticket"
  6. Lush, Tamara (3 February 2010). "Judge sets woman's bond at $1 million in lotto winner's slaying". The Associated Press. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  7. "Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Lotto winner hasn't altered frugal lifestyle"
  8. "True Crime Report: Abraham Shakespeare, Missing Florida Lottery Winner, May Be Dead"
  9. 1 2 3 "'Helper' arrested in killing of Lotto winner Abraham Shakespeare". St. Petersburg Times. Feb 3, 2010.
  10. 1 2 3 Green, Merissa (Feb 3, 2010). "Judge Sets 'DeeDee' Moore's Bond at $1 Million". The Ledger.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Martin, John (Sep 17, 2010). "Lotto murder case records: DeeDee Moore's mother describes 'erratic behavior'".
  12. "Friend charged with hiding Tampa lotto winner's death". Gainsvile Sun. Feb 3, 2010.
  13. Jenkins, Colleen (Feb 10, 2010). "Lotto case suspect DeeDee Moore has record of staging schemes". tampabay.com.
  14. 1 2 Green, Merissa (Nov 24, 2009). "Lakeland Lottery Winner Missing". The Ledger.
  15. "Famed Attorney and Client Victorious in $30 Million Lottery Trial". Los Angeles Sentinel. Nov 1, 2007.
  16. 1 2 Green, Merissa (Jan 7, 2010). "Sheriff: Lottery Winner May Be Dead". The Ledger.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Abraham Lee Shakespeare - 02/19/2010 Probable Cause Affidavit". acandyrose.com. Feb 19, 2010.
  18. Geary, Jason (Feb 17, 2011). "Suspect 'DeeDee' Moore Fights to Keep Lotto Winner's House". The Ledger.
  19. Green, Merissa (Dec 5, 2009). "Woman Says Missing Man Publicity Upended Life". The Ledger.
  20. "Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore Interview 11/12/2009". acandyrose.com. Nov 12, 2009.
  21. "Detective Christopher Lynn Report 02/02/2010". acandyrose.com. Feb 2, 2010.
  22. "Elizabeth Walker Interview 12/28/2009". acandyrose.com.
  23. "Variety of stories leads to murder charge for Dee Dee Moore". www2,tbo.com. Feb 19, 2010.
  24. Mitchell, Robbyn (Feb 20, 2010). "DeeDee Moore charged with first degree murder in lottery winner's homicide". St. Petersburg Times.
  25. "Woman pleads not guilty in death of lottery winner". CNN. Mar 16, 2010.
  26. "US woman guilty of killing lottery winner". News.com.au/AAP. Dec 11, 2012.

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