Abraham Shakespeare was a Florida man whose life ended tragically after winning a massive lottery jackpot. He was murdered in 2009 by Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore, who exploited his fortune.

Lottery Win

Abraham Shakespeare hit the jackpot on November 15, 2006, winning a $30 million Florida Lotto prize and taking a lump-sum payout of about $17 million after taxes.

A former laborer with limited literacy and a criminal record, he quickly became generous, buying homes for family, funding friends' ventures, and lending money freely.

By 2009, much of his wealth had dwindled through handouts and poor financial choices, leaving him vulnerable.

Disappearance

Reported missing on November 24, 2009, by friends concerned about his sudden silence, Shakespeare had last been seen at Moore's home.

Moore, posing as his financial advisor, had gained control of his assets, including a $1 million Lakeland house bought in 2007.

She sent suspicious texts from his phone claiming he had fled to places like Texas or Jamaica, but investigators noted he couldn't read or write well.

Discovery and Murder

On January 28, 2010, his body was found buried under a concrete slab at a Plant City property linked to Moore, shot twice in a homicide.

Web sleuths on forums like Websleuths.com played a key role early on, piecing together her inconsistencies and online trails before police zeroed in.

The case drew national attention for highlighting lottery curse stories and amateur detectives' impact.

Trial Outcome

Moore was arrested February 2, 2010, charged with first-degree murder, and convicted in 2012, receiving life without parole.

A judge later ordered assets like the house returned to Shakespeare's estate for his two sons, though much money was gone.

No major updates since; her appeals failed, and she's in prison.

Internet Sleuthing Role

Online communities dug into Moore's boasts, fake texts, and business dealings, pressuring authorities.

This predated modern TikTok cases like Idaho murders but showed web forums' power—and risks of rumors.

Key forum insight: "We tightened the rules... you can't talk about rumors," per sleuth leaders.

Aspect| Details
---|---
Wealth Spent| Homes, loans, church donations; down to $14k by death 3
Suspects Checked| Many debtors, but Moore last contact 5
Body Location| Concrete slab, Plant City 6
Sons' Inheritance| House/assets returned post-trial 3

Family and Legacy

Shakespeare left sons Moses and Jeremiyah; his mother sued banks for poor protection.

Ex-partners spoke of his kindness amid exploitation.

Story inspires docs like Hulu's Web of Death (2025), warning of sudden wealth's dangers.

TL;DR: Lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare was killed by advisor Dorice Moore in 2009 after she drained his fortune; web sleuths aided the case, leading to her life sentence.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.