Florida Lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare disappeared in April 2009 and was found buried under a concrete slab in January 2010; acquaintance Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore was later convicted of his first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Abraham Lee Shakespeare, a Florida man, won a $30 million Florida Lotto jackpot in November 2006 after asking a co-worker, Michael Ford, to buy him two lottery tickets at a convenience store in Frostproof, Florida. Shakespeare chose a lump-sum payout of $17 million. Ford later sued him, claiming the winning ticket had been stolen from his wallet, but a jury ruled in Shakespeare's favor in October 2007. Shakespeare used part of his winnings to buy a home in a gated community, a car, and a watch, but friends and family said he grew frustrated with constant requests for money from acquaintances and strangers.
Among those who befriended Shakespeare was Dorice Donegan "Dee Dee" Moore, who arranged to meet him in October 2008, reportedly to write a book about him. Moore went on to gain control of much of Shakespeare's remaining assets through a company, Abraham Shakespeare LLC, and later had his home transferred to her business, American Medical Professionals, in January 2009. Records showed Moore made substantial personal purchases, including a Hummer and a Corvette, using company funds, which she later claimed were gifts from Shakespeare.
Shakespeare was last seen in the Lakeland, Florida area in April 2009, and detectives determined his cell phone was last used on April 6, 2009. His family did not report him missing until November 2009. During the intervening months, Moore sent text messages and made phone calls impersonating Shakespeare to his friends and family, and paid at least one acquaintance to pretend to be him in phone calls to his mother — behavior investigators later cited as evidence of a cover-up, particularly notable given that Shakespeare was illiterate.
After Shakespeare was reported missing, investigators questioned Moore multiple times; she gave shifting accounts of his whereabouts, including claims he had gone to Texas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, or was hospitalized. She also attempted to pay an acquaintance $50,000 to falsely confess to killing Shakespeare and offered another person a home in exchange for lying to detectives. That acquaintance, working with an undercover police officer, was eventually shown by Moore the concrete slab under which Shakespeare was buried and was given the firearm used in the killing, a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver.
Acting on this information, police excavated the backyard of a Plant City home and found Shakespeare's body buried under roughly nine feet of dirt beneath a newly poured concrete slab in late January 2010. The body was identified as Shakespeare's on January 29, 2010. Moore was taken into custody on February 2, 2010, and was formally charged with first-degree murder on February 19, 2010. She pleaded not guilty in March 2010.
On December 10, 2012, following a trial in Hillsborough County, Florida, Moore was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with an additional mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years for use of a firearm during a violent felony. Moore had a prior 2001 conviction for insurance fraud and falsely reporting a crime.
Shakespeare's co-worker Michael Ford buys two lottery tickets, including the winning $30 million ticket, at Shakespeare's request.
2007-01
Shakespeare buys a $1.1 million home in a gated community in North Lakeland, Florida.
2007-04
Michael Ford sues Shakespeare, alleging the winning ticket was stolen from his wallet.
2007-10-19
A jury rules Shakespeare did not steal the winning ticket from Ford.
2008-10
Dee Dee Moore arranges to meet Shakespeare, reportedly to write a book about him.
2009-01-09
Ownership of Shakespeare's home is transferred to Moore's company, American Medical Professionals.
2009-02-21
Moore buys a 2008 Chevrolet Corvette for her boyfriend using company funds.
2009-03-02
Moore buys a 2009 Hummer for about $90,000.
2009-04
Shakespeare is last seen in the Lakeland area of Florida.
2009-04-06
Detectives determine this is the last day Shakespeare used his cell phone.
2009-08
Shakespeare's cousin delivers a card, purportedly from Shakespeare, to his mother.
2009-11-09
Shakespeare's cousin files a missing person report with the sheriff's office.
2009-11-12
Detectives conduct an early interview with Moore about Shakespeare's assets.
2009-11-24
The Polk County sheriff's office officially declares Shakespeare missing.
2009-12
Moore, posing as Shakespeare, writes to his mother claiming he is fine.
2009-12-05
Moore sells her Hummer to a friend of a car dealer's owner.
2009-12-27
Shakespeare's mother receives a phone call from someone pretending to be her son while dining with Moore.
2009-12-28
A friend of Shakespeare's, paid by Moore to impersonate him in calls to his mother, begins cooperating with detectives.
2010-01
Moore asks a contact if he knows anyone willing to falsely confess to killing Shakespeare.
2010-01-21
An undercover police officer is introduced to Moore, who offers to pay $50,000 for a false confession.
2010-01-25
Moore shows the undercover contact the concrete slab where Shakespeare is buried and gives him the firearm used in the killing.
2010-01-27
Police find a body at the Plant City property during excavation.
2010-01-29
The body is identified as Abraham Shakespeare.
2010-02-02
Moore is taken into custody by police.
2010-02-03
A judge sets bond at $1 million for Moore.
2010-02-19
Moore is formally charged with first-degree murder.
2010-03-15
Moore pleads not guilty in a Hillsborough County, Florida court.
2012-12-10
Moore is found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Truly Criminal / 32 min
Lethal Greed: The Murder Of Abraham Shakespeare
People
Abraham Lee Shakespeare
VICTIM
Florida Lottery winner who was killed; his body was found buried in a backyard in January 2010.
Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore
CONVICTED
Convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Abraham Shakespeare; sentenced to life in prison without parole plus a 25-year minimum for use of a firearm.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Florida Lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare disappeared in April 2009 and was found buried under a concrete slab in January 2010; acquaintance Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore was later convicted of his first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
Where did the murder happen?
Plant City, Florida, USA.
Who was convicted?
Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore (Convicted of first-degree murder for the killing of Abraham Shakespeare; sentenced to life in prison without parole plus a 25-year minimum for use of a firearm.).
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