Abraham Lee Shakespeare won £26million on the lottery but told his brother he would have been ‘better off broke’ before he was murdered and buried under concrete by a woman convicted of exploiting him
Emilia Randall GAU Writer
07:00, 25 Mar 2026
Abraham expressed regret over his winnings(Image: ABC News)
Abraham Lee Shakespeare couldn’t believe his fortune when he secured a staggering £26million lottery jackpot – but two years later he was dead, buried beneath a concrete slab in a friend’s garden.
The 43-year-old from Florida was happy to claim his $30million publicly. Abraham, characterised as a “gentle soul” had scraped by through casual work such as driving rubbish trucks and sweeping hair at barber shops when he struck gold back in 2006.
However, his enormous windfall wasn’t the passport to contentment he had anticipated and he confessed to his brother, Robert Brown, he would have been “better off broke”, reported the St Augustine Record.
At the time of his win, Abraham was employed as an assistant truck driver, residing with his mother in rural Plant Town, east of Tampa. Described as “barely literate” and “extremely generous” – his newfound riches were exploited almost instantly.
Samuel Jones, who has been friends with Abraham since they were both 12, said: “He really didn’t understand it at all. It was moving so fast. It changed his life in a bad way.”
Dorice Donegan Moore is currently serving a life sentence(Image: Channel 4)
Samuel said people began to gather around Abraham’s home requesting money. He explained Abraham told him “I thought all these people were my friends, but then I realised all they want is just money.”
His concerns would tragically prove accurate. Abraham first encountered Dorice Donegan Moore, 49, known as ‘DeeDee’ in 2007, following his win.
This meeting was shortly after Abraham purchased a million-dollar property in Lakeland, Polk County. DeeDee informed him she wished to pen a biography about his life.
Police subsequently stated she was solely pursuing his fortune. DeeDee then appeared to take on a financial adviser role for Abraham.
Records demonstrated DeeDee’s company, American Medical Professionals, bought Shakespeare’s property for £655,000 in January 2009.
In February 2009, DeeDee assisted Abraham in establishing a company, granting herself permission to authorise payments, including a £1million transaction according to investigators.
Abraham Shakespeare after his huge win(Image: undefined)
DeeDee informed police Abraham gave her the money as a gift, which she utilised to purchase a Hummer, a Corvette and a truck and a holiday.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd labelled DeeDee a “con artist” stating: “DeeDee Moore has cheated Abraham Shakespeare out of his money, and possibly his life” following the discovery of his remains.
Abraham was last spotted in April 2009. His family believed, and hoped, he had travelled elsewhere with his wealth to relax on a beach.
DeeDee informed the Lakeland Ledger he was “laying low” due to individuals pestering him for a portion of his prize money. She also claimed she helped him to disappear.
Nevertheless, detectives disclosed the woman fabricated a sinister scheme to make it seem Abraham had gone missing, even using his phone to text his family and friends.
Police stated DeeDee paid one of Shakespeare’s relatives £5,000 to deliver a birthday card to Shakespeare’s mum, implying it had come from her son.
On 25 January 2010, Shakespeare was found shot dead, buried beneath concrete in the back garden of a property formerly bought by Moore.
During questioning, DeeDee refuted killing Shakespeare – alleging it was drug dealers. Examining her account, detectives then interviewed her former husband.
Her ex informed police on the night of Shakespeare’s murder, DeeDee had him operate machinery to dig a hole in the back garden and fill it after dark.
He maintained he had no knowledge of a body underneath and authorities determined he was not involved in the murder.
Authorities returned to DeeDee, whose story began to fall apart. Prosecutors filed murder charges against her.
In 2012, a jury found Moore guilty of first-degree murder, with the judge imposing a life sentence without the possibility of parole. She was jailed at the Lowe Correctional Facility in Ocala, Florida.
During a 2023 prison interview, Moore asserted her innocence, and admitted she still thinks about Shakespeare.
She said: “It was wrong. There was no reason for him to pass away over money but for them to lie in public and say that I took his money… the whole situation was so stupid.”
Despite her link to Shakespeare’s death, Moore has advocated for lottery winners to have their identities protected for a minimum of six months after collection of their winnings.
She told CBS News: “It puts a target on them.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation into law in May 2022, allowing those who collect prizes exceeding $250,000 to maintain their identities permanently confidential. For winners of at least $600, their information is disclosed after 90 days.
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