This is the sad story of Abraham Shakespeare, a 43-year-old truck driver and laborer who won a $30 million lottery jackpot in November 2006, only for his life to be cut short by a greedy woman he hired to write his rags-to-riches story.
It all began in 2006 when Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million in the Florida lottery. Instead of getting his money in parts, he chose to take a $17 million lump-sum payout.
Abraham Shakespeare was obviously not a stingy man, as he was known to have shared his money with friends, family members, and even strangers. He would give money to strangers in need and help family and friends settle their mortgages.
But just three years later, Abraham Shakespeare’s body would be found buried under a concrete slab in a backyard in Plant City, Florida—his fortune gone, his name nearly forgotten. At the center of this betrayal was a woman named Dorice Donegan “Dee Dee” Moore, who had entered his life under the guise of friendship and business, only to become his killer.
2006: A Jackpot and a Dream
Abraham Shakespeare was a quiet man from Lakeland, Florida, someone who had worked hard jobs most of his life and had little formal education. But in November 2006, everything changed. On a whim, he bought two lottery tickets at a convenience store while on a job driving a truck to Miami. One of them turned out to be worth $30 million.
Abraham took the lump sum—$17 million after taxes—and tried to enjoy his newfound wealth. But money brought more problems than peace. Despite some good intentions, Abraham didn’t have the knowledge or support system to handle sudden riches. He gave generously—paying off mortgages for friends, helping strangers with bills, sharing without hesitation.
But soon, the giving turned into an overwhelming flood of people constantly asking for more.
2007–2008: Everyone Wants a Piece
As word spread about Abraham’s win, so did the number of people seeking handouts. He was generous to a fault, but also deeply uncomfortable with confrontation. People close to him said he began to feel taken advantage of. Despite his good heart, Abraham wasn’t equipped to navigate the financial traps or shady characters that began to circle him.
That’s when Dorice Donegan “Dee Dee” Moore entered the picture.
In October 2008, Moore introduced herself to Abraham as a businesswoman interested in writing a book about his life—a “rags to riches” story that would inspire others. She said she owned a staffing agency called American Medical Professionals and claimed to be successful and financially savvy. Abraham, who was struggling with trust issues and mounting pressure from people around him, welcomed what he thought was a lifeline.
2009: Control and Disappearance
Moore quickly inserted herself into Abraham’s life and finances. She claimed she wanted to help manage his money and offered to protect him from people constantly asking for cash. He gave her access to his accounts and assets—likely trusting her more than he should have.
By January 2009, Moore had persuaded Abraham to transfer ownership of his $1 million home in Lakeland to her company. She said it was for his own protection, claiming he was tired of being hounded and wanted to disappear for a while. Abraham started becoming less visible to his family and friends.
By April 2009, Abraham was no longer seen in person. From that point on, all communication supposedly from him came only through text messages. But there was a problem: Abraham didn’t like texting, and he wasn’t known to use it often. His loved ones, especially his mother, Elizabeth Walker, started to grow suspicious.
In November 2009, Shakespeare’s cousin, Cedric Edom, reported him missing.
December 2009: Cracks in the Story
As police began investigating Abraham’s disappearance, Moore stuck to her story—that Abraham had left voluntarily to escape the constant demands for money. She even took his mother to a diner and handed her a phone, claiming Abraham was on the line. But Elizabeth instantly knew the voice didn’t belong to her son.
Police traced the call back to Greg Smith, a mutual friend who later revealed that Moore had asked him to pretend to be Abraham. Smith agreed, thinking he was helping reassure the worried mother. When he learned the full truth—that Abraham was missing and possibly dead—he agreed to become an informant for the authorities.
Around this time, online sleuths on the true crime forum Websleuths also began digging. Users like Cindi “Sleuthster” Parrott and forum owner Tricia Griffith started uncovering property records and inconsistencies in Moore’s stories. They discovered that Moore had moved into Abraham’s home and was flaunting her lifestyle online. They even tied her to previous convictions for insurance fraud and other shady dealings.
January 2010: The Truth Comes Out
With Greg Smith wired up and working with investigators, Moore began to slip. In one conversation, he told her he knew someone willing to take the blame for Abraham’s death in exchange for cash. Smith played along and introduced her to an undercover officer posing as the fall guy.
Moore took the bait.
On January 25, 2010, she led the undercover detective to her home in Plant City. There, she pointed to a freshly poured concrete slab in her backyard and claimed Abraham’s body was buried beneath it. She even handed over a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver, saying it was the weapon used in the murder.
Two days later, police uncovered human remains beneath the slab. They were soon confirmed to be Abraham Shakespeare. His body had been buried alongside the same clothes he was last seen wearing in a video Moore had recorded on April 6, 2009—the day investigators believe he was killed.
February 2010: Arrest and Charges
Moore was arrested on February 2, 2010, initially on charges of being an accessory. That was upgraded to first-degree murder by February 19.
The evidence was damning: Texts sent from Abraham’s phone had always pinged near Moore’s phone. Blood stains were found on a carpet in the home. Her own husband told investigators that she had asked him to dig and later fill in a hole in the yard, though he hadn’t seen what went into it.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, Moore insisted she was innocent. She claimed that Abraham was killed by drug dealers, or that her son had done it, or that someone named Ronald was responsible—her stories changed constantly.
2012: Trial and Conviction
Moore’s trial began in late 2012. The prosecution laid out a calculated, cold-blooded scheme—one that started with manipulation and ended in murder.
She had emptied Abraham’s accounts, bought a Corvette and a Hummer, taken lavish vacations, and attempted to cover it all up with forged messages and fake phone calls. The jury saw through her lies.
On December 10, 2012, Dorice Moore was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She also received a mandatory 25-year sentence for using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
She wrote a brief letter of apology to Abraham’s loved ones but maintained that she didn’t kill him.
2013–2025: Appeals, Denials, and Controversy
Over the years, Moore has filed multiple appeals. The most recent was in 2023, when she alleged that corrupt police officers, bribed by drug dealers, had framed her. Investigators dismissed those claims outright.
As of 2025, Moore remains incarcerated at the Lowell Correctional Institution Annex in Ocala, Florida. At age 53, she’s still trying to tell her side of the story—this time by advocating for laws that would shield lottery winners’ identities, claiming it would have saved Abraham.
A Cautionary Tale
Abraham Shakespeare’s story is not just about greed or deception—it’s about how vulnerability, when paired with sudden wealth and the wrong people, can lead to tragedy. Abraham was a kind man, perhaps too trusting, who only wanted to help others and live peacefully. But his generosity was met with exploitation.
His death left a mother heartbroken, a community stunned, and a nation reminded of the darker side of fortune.
He wanted a better life. Instead, he became a cautionary tale.
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