00:00:00
foreign
00:00:09
[Music]
00:00:13
s deal with serious and often
00:00:16
distressing incidents if you feel at any
00:00:18
time you need support please contact
00:00:21
your local crisis center for suggested
00:00:24
phone numbers for confidential support
00:00:25
and for a more detailed list of content
00:00:28
warnings please see the show notes for
00:00:31
this episode on your app or on our
00:00:33
website
00:00:35
[Music]
00:00:41
when the winning numbers of the Florida
00:00:43
Lottery were announced on Wednesday
00:00:45
October 25 2006 the 3 Million jackpot
00:00:49
went unclaimed
00:00:51
this wasn't unusual
00:00:53
the odds of picking the six lucky
00:00:55
numbers from a possible 69 Was Won in
00:00:58
over 292 million
00:01:02
with no claimants the Florida Lottery
00:01:04
jackpot rolled over meaning it was added
00:01:06
to the grand prize of the next draw
00:01:09
once again nobody won
00:01:13
over the following two weeks the jackpot
00:01:16
rolled over three more times
00:01:18
by Wednesday November 15 2006 it had
00:01:22
reached 30 million dollars
00:01:25
[Music]
00:01:31
[Music]
00:01:41
[Music]
00:01:49
41 year old Abraham Shakespeare lived in
00:01:52
the Florida City of Lakeland
00:01:54
the small home he shared with his mother
00:01:56
was in the same underprivileged
00:01:58
neighborhood where Abraham had spent
00:02:00
most of his life
00:02:02
despite experiencing poverty
00:02:04
homelessness discrimination and run-ins
00:02:06
with the law Abraham remained
00:02:09
good-natured and easy going
00:02:11
even though he mostly kept to himself he
00:02:14
was a familiar and well-liked figure in
00:02:16
his community
00:02:17
[Music]
00:02:18
Abraham had no bank account credit card
00:02:21
or savings
00:02:23
dropping out of school in the seventh
00:02:25
grade had left him with few skills or
00:02:27
opportunities
00:02:28
he was in a labor pool a network of
00:02:31
independent workers that could be hired
00:02:33
on an as needed basis for various jobs
00:02:37
the tall and slender African-American
00:02:39
took on any work available from washing
00:02:42
dishes and sweeping floors to collecting
00:02:44
trash and loading trucks
00:02:48
although he spent most of his time
00:02:49
working Abraham Shakespeare constantly
00:02:52
scraped to the bread line
00:02:54
in 2006 he was earning just eight
00:02:57
dollars an hour as a truck driver's
00:02:59
assistant for a Food Distribution
00:03:00
Company
00:03:02
despite his best efforts he'd fallen
00:03:04
behind on paying child support for his
00:03:06
five-year-old son
00:03:09
in his rare moments of respite Abraham
00:03:11
would walk around to Lake Hollingsworth
00:03:13
in the city center
00:03:15
he'd imagine owning one of the expensive
00:03:17
houses that overlooked the water only to
00:03:20
reflect on his current circumstances
00:03:22
with disappointment
00:03:25
on Wednesday November 15 2006 Abraham
00:03:29
and a colleague named Michael Ford set
00:03:31
out on a 230 mile route to deliver meat
00:03:34
to fast food restaurants
00:03:37
not long after leaving Lakeland the pair
00:03:39
stopped at a convenience store in the
00:03:41
city of Frostproof
00:03:43
Michael headed inside to buy drinks and
00:03:46
cigarettes asking Abraham if he wanted a
00:03:49
soda
00:03:50
Abraham instead told Michael to quote
00:03:54
get me two quick picks
00:03:57
Quick Picks are a type of lottery ticket
00:04:00
the player's six numbers are randomly
00:04:02
generated in the lottery terminal and
00:04:04
added to their coupon
00:04:06
compared to the more traditional method
00:04:08
where a player personally selects each
00:04:10
number it's a fast and easy way to play
00:04:13
the lottery
00:04:14
Michael Ford purchased two quick picks
00:04:17
for Abraham and Abraham paid him two of
00:04:20
the five dollars he currently had to his
00:04:22
name
00:04:23
he gave the remaining three dollars to a
00:04:26
homeless man
00:04:29
the Florida Lotto was drawn that night
00:04:32
the numbers announced were 6 12 13 34 42
00:04:38
and 52.
00:04:41
Abraham Shakespeare was stunned
00:04:44
he had just won 30 million dollars
00:04:52
Abraham appeared on television to
00:04:54
celebrate his massive lottery win
00:04:57
he was his typical laid-back self
00:04:59
dressed in baggy pants and a white
00:05:01
T-shirt with these dreadlocks tucked
00:05:03
under his cap
00:05:05
Abraham was handed an oversized and
00:05:07
Novelty check with 30 million printed on
00:05:09
it in large bold lettering
00:05:12
he had two options
00:05:14
received the prize money in annual
00:05:16
increments of one and a half million
00:05:18
dollars over 20 years or take an
00:05:21
immediate lump sum minus 25 percent in
00:05:24
taxes
00:05:26
Abraham chose the second option as most
00:05:29
lottery winners do and walked away with
00:05:31
17 million dollars
00:05:35
for Abraham who'd only ever known
00:05:37
poverty that was more than enough
00:05:40
as he collected his winnings he
00:05:42
announced
00:05:43
I don't have to struggle no more
00:05:47
Abraham immediately used his Newfound
00:05:49
wealth to resolve several debts
00:05:52
including the child support he owed he
00:05:54
also set up a million dollar trust for
00:05:56
his son
00:05:58
although lottery winners are advised to
00:06:00
seek the services of a financial advisor
00:06:03
Abraham didn't believe he needed one
00:06:05
saying I don't let material things run
00:06:08
me I'm on a tight budget
00:06:12
despite being a multi-millionaire
00:06:13
Abraham continued to eat at his local
00:06:15
Denny's diner pick up pennies off the
00:06:18
ground and spend his days hanging out in
00:06:20
his old neighborhood
00:06:22
Abraham offered to buy his mother a new
00:06:25
home but she respectfully declined so he
00:06:28
paid off her existing house instead
00:06:31
he then established several
00:06:33
philanthropic Enterprises that centered
00:06:35
on assisting those in need
00:06:39
Abraham rewarded himself with the just a
00:06:41
few splurges including a new car some
00:06:44
clothes and a Rolex watch that he bought
00:06:46
at a discount from a pawn shop
00:06:49
his biggest Indulgence was a million
00:06:51
dollar home north of the city in an
00:06:53
upscale gated community on Red Hawk Bend
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Drive
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the spacious two-story residents had
00:07:00
four bedrooms and four bathrooms
00:07:03
it featured stainless steel appliances
00:07:05
Granite counters walk-in closets
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fireplaces a guest Suede and a double
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garage
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French doors opened out to a private
00:07:15
Deck with a swimming pool and spa
00:07:17
it was exactly the type of home Abraham
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had dreamed of owning
00:07:25
although Abraham's money didn't change
00:07:27
him much it changed everyone around him
00:07:30
as soon as news of his big win got out
00:07:33
friends and strangers alike began
00:07:35
approaching him with stories of
00:07:37
financial hardship
00:07:39
described as a soft touch who thought
00:07:41
with his heart Abraham willingly helped
00:07:44
them pay everything from bills to
00:07:46
Medical Treatments and business startups
00:07:50
he lost count of how many people he
00:07:52
helped saying the Bible States it's
00:07:55
better to give than to receive
00:07:57
[Music]
00:07:59
in Abraham's eyes most of these handouts
00:08:01
were loans rather than gifts
00:08:04
yet no one ever made any effort to pay
00:08:07
him back
00:08:08
questions about when Abraham's
00:08:10
generosity would be repaid were met with
00:08:13
excuses and complaints
00:08:16
some people were upset to learn his
00:08:18
money was given with strings attached
00:08:21
conflict also arose in Abraham's family
00:08:23
over the amount he shared with them
00:08:27
rather than making him happy Abraham
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said his Lottery Win had made him
00:08:32
miserable
00:08:33
people constantly stopped him in the
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street and his cell phone rang Non-Stop
00:08:39
during a 30-minute catch-up with his
00:08:41
younger brother Abraham fielded eight
00:08:43
calls from people requesting cash
00:08:47
he even received a letter from a prison
00:08:49
inmate asking for a thousand dollars
00:08:52
while this request amused Abraham he
00:08:55
still sent the man fifty dollars
00:08:58
Abraham's sister said he was too sweet
00:09:01
natured to say no to anybody
00:09:04
and because of his Limitless charity
00:09:06
Abraham never had any peace
00:09:10
both exasperated by his instant
00:09:12
celebrity and demoralized by everyone's
00:09:14
demands he began sleeping all day and
00:09:17
cruising the quiet streets of Lakeland
00:09:19
at night
00:09:22
Abraham also escaped by traveling
00:09:25
he went on a cruise to the Caribbean and
00:09:27
took a few short trips to New York City
00:09:29
which he grew particularly fond of
00:09:33
he hoped the distance from his community
00:09:35
would lessen the pressure expectations
00:09:37
and hostilities thrust upon him
00:09:44
Michael Ford was bitter towards his
00:09:47
former colleague Abraham Shakespeare
00:09:50
Michael frequently visited the
00:09:52
Frostproof Convenience Store where the
00:09:54
winning lottery ticket was purchased
00:09:57
without fail he always bought two quick
00:09:59
picks for himself
00:10:02
Michael asserted that Wednesday November
00:10:05
16 2006 was no different
00:10:09
store records and CCTV footage confirmed
00:10:13
that Michael had purchased two Quick
00:10:14
Picks that day
00:10:17
Michael insisted that if he had
00:10:19
purchased any for Abraham Shakespeare
00:10:20
then he would have had four tickets in
00:10:22
total
00:10:24
according to Michael he tucked the
00:10:26
tickets into his wallet which he kept in
00:10:28
an overhead compartment inside his truck
00:10:32
Michael said he realized his lottery
00:10:34
tickets were missing the following day
00:10:37
he assumed that he'd lost them until a
00:10:40
supervisor informed him that Abraham won
00:10:42
the jackpot
00:10:44
Michael confronted Abraham and accused
00:10:46
him of stealing the tickets while he'd
00:10:48
been left alone in the truck
00:10:51
Abraham allegedly admitted to swiping
00:10:54
the tickets from Michael's wallet and
00:10:56
was confident that no one could prove it
00:10:59
Michael said Abraham had offered him a
00:11:01
million dollars to put the matter to
00:11:03
rest but he decided to file a lawsuit
00:11:06
against Abraham instead
00:11:09
Abraham flatly denied these allegations
00:11:12
saying Michael Ford knows the truth I
00:11:17
know the truth the Lord knows he doesn't
00:11:19
deserve it it's like a dirty money that
00:11:23
money wasn't meant for him it was meant
00:11:25
for me
00:11:28
according to Abraham after his win
00:11:31
Michael asked Abraham to look out for
00:11:33
him by giving him a million dollars so
00:11:35
he could move into State and start a
00:11:37
business
00:11:38
Abraham was willing to help but Lottery
00:11:41
officials hadn't wired him the money yet
00:11:43
so he told Michael to be patient
00:11:47
he also offered a smaller amount as he
00:11:49
felt a million dollars was excessive
00:11:53
Michael confronted Abraham again two
00:11:55
days later this time indicating his
00:11:58
intention to sue
00:12:00
Abraham explained
00:12:02
when Michael brought up the word Court I
00:12:05
backed away from him I told him I don't
00:12:08
owe him nothing I told him if you feel
00:12:11
like you have a case go on to court
00:12:15
by the Time Michael came for Abraham's
00:12:18
prize money there was 12 million dollars
00:12:20
left
00:12:21
Michael saw it injunctive relief which
00:12:24
would immediately freeze Abraham's
00:12:25
assets and prevent him from spending any
00:12:28
more of the winnings
00:12:30
a circuit court judge ruled in Michael's
00:12:32
favor
00:12:34
the matter went to court in October 2007
00:12:37
five months after Abraham's big win
00:12:41
the dramatic proceedings became a public
00:12:43
spectacle
00:12:45
Michael Ford's attorney worked to
00:12:47
undermine Abraham's character by
00:12:49
repeatedly bringing up his criminal past
00:12:52
at age 13 Abraham was caught stealing
00:12:55
from a convenience store and sent to a
00:12:58
state-run juvenile reform school
00:13:00
he remained there until he was 18. then
00:13:03
proceeded to rack up a range of offenses
00:13:05
that included trespassing assault and
00:13:08
Theft
00:13:10
as an adult he amassed seven felony and
00:13:13
three misdemeanor convictions resulting
00:13:15
in two stints in prison
00:13:18
Michael Ford's attorney asked the court
00:13:21
does a leopard change its spots
00:13:25
when witnesses attested to Abraham's
00:13:27
good character Michael's Council accused
00:13:30
Abraham of paying them off for their
00:13:32
testimony
00:13:37
in turn Abraham's attorney accused the
00:13:39
plaintiff of piling dirt on his client
00:13:42
saying that bringing up his criminal
00:13:44
record was an attempt to distract the
00:13:46
jury from the pertinent issues
00:13:49
they questioned why Abraham would steal
00:13:52
the lottery tickets which were worthless
00:13:54
at the time the alleged theft occurred
00:13:57
Abraham had no way of knowing one would
00:13:59
win the jackpot
00:14:01
Abraham also had an extensive history of
00:14:04
playing the lottery
00:14:05
to prove it he carried a garbage bag
00:14:08
into court stuffed with tickets he had
00:14:10
purchased over the years
00:14:13
Michael was revealed to be a liar
00:14:17
in sworn testimony as part of the
00:14:19
pre-trial Discovery process Michael said
00:14:21
he'd lent Abraham money in the past to
00:14:24
help put food on his table
00:14:26
but during the trial Michael denied ever
00:14:29
helping Abraham at all
00:14:32
after five days of testimony and a
00:14:35
little over an hour's deliberation the
00:14:37
jury unanimously agreed that Abraham
00:14:40
Shakespeare did not steal the lottery
00:14:42
tickets from Michael Ford
00:14:44
Michael was denied any of Abraham's
00:14:46
winnings
00:14:48
Abraham's lawyer told the media
00:14:51
this lawsuit was about greed
00:14:54
the plaintiff manufactured a story and a
00:14:57
plan to try to take advantage of my
00:14:59
client
00:15:01
while Abraham felt Michael had
00:15:03
scandalized his reputation he ultimately
00:15:06
forgave him
00:15:07
he didn't Harbor any anger saying
00:15:11
that guy used to be a real good friend
00:15:13
of mine if he only waited I could have
00:15:16
given him 250 thousand dollars easy
00:15:21
Michael rejected the jury's findings and
00:15:24
began a lengthy appeals process
00:15:27
the final hearing was scheduled for
00:15:29
Wednesday May 27 2009 two and a half
00:15:33
years after Abraham won the lottery
00:15:39
Michael Ford's appeal was ultimately
00:15:41
dismissed but Abraham Shakespeare wasn't
00:15:44
around to hear the good news
00:15:47
no one had seen Abraham in the weeks
00:15:50
leading up to the hearing and calls to
00:15:52
his cell phone were going unanswered
00:15:55
word spread that he'd skipped town to
00:15:57
avoid the spotlight and get some
00:15:59
much-needed rest
00:16:02
since his Lottery Win Abraham had become
00:16:04
a father for the second time
00:16:07
he'd separated from the baby's mother
00:16:09
shortly after the birth and the pair had
00:16:11
been embroiled in hostile Court
00:16:13
proceedings ever since
00:16:15
there was gossip that the woman had
00:16:17
intentionally become pregnant just to
00:16:19
access Abraham's money
00:16:22
this fueled a belief that he'd fled to
00:16:24
avoid paying child support
00:16:27
he also had an unpaid bill with the law
00:16:29
firm that fought his civil suit
00:16:33
the rumor mill swung into overdrive
00:16:36
some claimed Abraham was doing business
00:16:39
or receiving medical treatment overseas
00:16:42
others accused him of being on the run
00:16:44
from police
00:16:46
those who knew Abraham best denied these
00:16:49
assertions
00:16:51
there were even rumors that he died of
00:16:53
AIDS despite some alleged sightings of
00:16:56
him around Lakeland
00:16:59
prior to winning the lottery Abraham
00:17:01
spent several days a week doing odd jobs
00:17:03
at a barber shop owned by his longtime
00:17:06
friend Greg Smith
00:17:08
Greg saw firsthand the overwhelmingly
00:17:11
negative impact that the wind had on
00:17:13
Abraham
00:17:15
his Sunny disposition faded and he often
00:17:18
told Greg
00:17:19
I wish I could go back to my old self
00:17:24
Greg had been struggling to stay on top
00:17:26
of his mortgage repayments but he'd kept
00:17:29
this from Abraham as he didn't want to
00:17:31
be seen as another mucho
00:17:33
one day Abraham spotted banking
00:17:35
documents at Greg's Barbershop
00:17:38
realizing his friend was in trouble he
00:17:40
paid off Greg's 63 000 mortgage
00:17:45
Greg agreed to give Abraham 500 a month
00:17:48
until the debt was repaid
00:17:51
when Abraham abruptly left Lakeland and
00:17:54
stopped answering his phone Greg sent
00:17:56
him a text message that read
00:17:59
call me it's important
00:18:02
Abraham messaged back
00:18:05
bro I'm on a cruise and I'll be back in
00:18:07
town soon I just needed to get away
00:18:09
because all these people are bothering
00:18:11
me about money
00:18:14
Greg told Abraham to call him
00:18:16
immediately
00:18:17
Abraham replied I'll call you in the
00:18:20
morning I'm just trying to get myself
00:18:22
together
00:18:25
Greg was struck by The Exchange
00:18:28
Abraham's limited education meant he
00:18:30
struggled to read and write he preferred
00:18:33
calling or speaking with people face to
00:18:35
face over communicating through text
00:18:39
Abraham's messages were also unusually
00:18:41
formal
00:18:42
they didn't reflect his usual speech and
00:18:45
writing patterns
00:18:47
Greg's wife agreed that the messages
00:18:49
were odd
00:18:51
she sent Abraham a text asking him to
00:18:53
come home he replied
00:18:56
I'll be home soon and I'll call you when
00:18:58
I get back
00:19:00
days passed but Abraham didn't call
00:19:06
Abraham was a doting father who
00:19:08
typically called his Elder son twice a
00:19:11
week
00:19:11
these calls also stopped and were
00:19:14
replaced by text messages
00:19:16
he sent one acquaintance upwards of 60
00:19:19
texts but still made no calls
00:19:23
in his messages Abraham assured everyone
00:19:26
that he was fine and okay
00:19:29
during one exchange he was
00:19:31
uncharacteristically belligerent
00:19:32
referring to himself as a grown-ass man
00:19:35
who would return to Lakeland when he was
00:19:37
ready
00:19:39
increasingly suspicious one of Abraham's
00:19:42
Associates texted a question that only
00:19:44
he could answer
00:19:46
there was no response
00:19:51
a few people tried to report Abraham
00:19:53
missing but were dismissed because they
00:19:56
weren't family
00:19:57
Abraham's Mother Elizabeth considered
00:20:00
doing so as Abraham wasn't the type to
00:20:03
go away for long periods without getting
00:20:05
in touch
00:20:07
but one of her nephews Cedric Adam said
00:20:10
that Abraham was calling him daily
00:20:13
he had also received a birthday card for
00:20:15
Elizabeth from Abraham
00:20:18
it contained one hundred dollars and a
00:20:20
necklace along with a handwritten
00:20:22
message that read I'll be home soon
00:20:24
followed by Abraham's signature
00:20:28
Elizabeth recognized her son's
00:20:30
handwriting which temporarily quashed
00:20:32
any niggling concerns
00:20:36
by November seven months had passed
00:20:39
since Abraham left Lakeland
00:20:42
Thanksgiving was one of his favorite
00:20:44
holidays
00:20:46
when the day came and went without any
00:20:48
word Abraham's prolonged silence became
00:20:51
too loud to ignore
00:20:54
[Music]
00:20:59
Abraham Shakespeare was officially
00:21:01
reported missing
00:21:03
finding him wasn't going to be easy
00:21:07
Abraham was accustomed to living a
00:21:09
transient lifestyle
00:21:11
at the time he left Lakeland Abraham was
00:21:14
dating a woman named Courtney Daniels
00:21:17
Courtney told police the last time she'd
00:21:20
seen Abraham was the first week of April
00:21:23
he dropped her at a bus station so she
00:21:25
could visit a friend interstate
00:21:28
that night the couple spoke on the phone
00:21:30
for hours but after that Courtney never
00:21:33
heard another word
00:21:36
she soon learned of a rumor that Abraham
00:21:38
had left Florida with another woman
00:21:41
when she returned to Abraham's house to
00:21:43
pack up her things all of his belongings
00:21:46
were still there
00:21:49
after winning the lottery Abraham grew
00:21:51
tired of all the paperwork and meetings
00:21:53
related to his finances
00:21:56
he'd sought help from a friend of 15
00:21:58
years to Judy Hagans who assumed The
00:22:01
Unofficial role of his assistant
00:22:04
Abraham eventually designated Judy as
00:22:07
his power of attorney
00:22:09
this meant she had control over all of
00:22:11
his financial decisions and could handle
00:22:13
his Affairs whenever he went away
00:22:17
others viewed this decision as absurd
00:22:20
Judy had no business or legal
00:22:22
qualifications and it was viewed by some
00:22:25
as a party girl
00:22:27
regardless Abraham signed the papers in
00:22:30
early April of 2009 shortly before he
00:22:34
disappeared
00:22:35
Judy told police she hadn't seen him
00:22:38
since
00:22:41
Abraham had been scheduled to appear in
00:22:43
court in August for a child support
00:22:45
enforcement action but never showed up
00:22:48
his attorney Howard stitzel told the
00:22:51
court that Abraham was out of the
00:22:52
country receiving medical treatment for
00:22:54
an undisclosed illness
00:22:57
when questioned by police Howard said
00:23:00
the last time he'd spoken to Abraham on
00:23:02
the phone was in October almost six
00:23:05
months since he'd last been seen in
00:23:07
Florida
00:23:09
he was reluctant to divulge the
00:23:11
specifics due to attorney-client
00:23:13
privilege but was absolutely certain it
00:23:16
was Abraham he'd spoken to as he was
00:23:18
familiar with his voice
00:23:21
Abraham hadn't sounded distressed and
00:23:23
there had been no follow-ups
00:23:29
due to the conflicting rumors regarding
00:23:31
his whereabouts police weren't sure what
00:23:34
to make of Abraham Shakespeare's
00:23:35
disappearance
00:23:37
they accepted the possibility that he
00:23:39
was simply lying low to avoid the
00:23:41
struggles he'd faced since winning the
00:23:43
lottery
00:23:45
in public appeals they indicated they'd
00:23:48
leave Abraham b as long as he reached
00:23:50
out to confirm he was okay
00:23:53
police also considered that Abraham
00:23:55
might have met with Foul Play
00:23:58
at the peak of his affluence Abraham had
00:24:01
drawn a lot of Fire
00:24:04
following his failed civil suit against
00:24:06
Abraham Michael Ford moved to Georgia
00:24:08
where he resumed work as a truck driver
00:24:12
he admitted to police that he'd returned
00:24:14
to Florida a couple of times but
00:24:16
maintained it was only for work
00:24:19
Michael said he hadn't seen Abraham
00:24:21
since their Court battle and he had no
00:24:23
idea where he might have gone
00:24:27
an examination of Abraham's bank account
00:24:29
revealed he'd made several withdrawals
00:24:31
in the months leading up to his
00:24:33
disappearance but none since
00:24:36
the account also revealed a harsh
00:24:38
reality
00:24:40
within three years Abraham had spent
00:24:43
given away or loaned almost all of his
00:24:46
17 million dollars
00:24:49
only forty five thousand dollars
00:24:51
remained
00:24:52
[Music]
00:24:54
while murder still couldn't be ruled out
00:24:56
it seemed highly unlikely that anyone
00:24:58
would kill Abraham for such a small
00:25:00
amount
00:25:01
he also had no life insurance meaning no
00:25:04
one stood to legally claim his remaining
00:25:07
money upon his death
00:25:11
detective David Wallace was part of a
00:25:13
team fronting the search for Abraham
00:25:15
Shakespeare
00:25:16
one day he received a phone call from an
00:25:18
anonymous male who asked for him
00:25:20
specifically
00:25:22
when detective Wella SARS who he was
00:25:25
speaking to the caller replied
00:25:28
it don't matter who this is
00:25:30
I'm down here in Miami and just want to
00:25:32
let you know I saw Abraham Shakespeare
00:25:35
in a damn strip club
00:25:36
he reached in his pocket for something
00:25:38
and his ID fell out and I saw it was him
00:25:43
detective Wallace asked when
00:25:45
but the caller abruptly hung up
00:25:49
the call puzzled detective Wallace it
00:25:53
wasn't traceable so he couldn't verify
00:25:55
it
00:25:56
he was also aware that in high profile
00:25:58
cases like Abrahams pranksters often
00:26:00
stirred up a Mischief for police
00:26:03
maybe someone was looking to insert
00:26:05
themselves into the investigation or
00:26:07
seeking the five thousand dollar reward
00:26:09
for information
00:26:12
by Christmas almost the nine months had
00:26:15
passed since the last confirmed sighting
00:26:17
of Abraham
00:26:19
two days later his mother Elizabeth
00:26:21
received a call of her own
00:26:25
she remained calm when she heard the
00:26:27
familiar voice of her missing son come
00:26:29
through the line
00:26:31
hey Ma I just want you to know that I'm
00:26:34
okay and I'm gonna see you soon
00:26:39
[Music]
00:26:48
Abraham told his mother not to worry and
00:26:50
said that he loved her
00:26:52
Elizabeth asked where you at baby
00:26:56
Abraham remarked that it was too noisy
00:26:58
for him to hear her clearly
00:27:01
Elizabeth raised her voice again asking
00:27:04
Abraham where he was and when he would
00:27:06
be coming home
00:27:08
the phone line then went dead
00:27:12
detectives traced the call to Barbara
00:27:14
Greg Smith Abraham's longtime friend and
00:27:17
former employer
00:27:19
Greg was put under covert surveillance
00:27:22
and detectives watched as he drove to a
00:27:24
parking lot near Lakeland Mall
00:27:27
a second vehicle arrived shortly after
00:27:30
driven by a middle-aged white woman with
00:27:32
bleached blonde hair
00:27:34
she got out of her car and handed Greg
00:27:37
some cash
00:27:38
he then drove off unaware he was being
00:27:41
tailed by an unmarked police car
00:27:45
when Greg stopped at a red light
00:27:47
detective surrounded his vehicle and
00:27:49
ordered him out
00:27:51
Greg appeared calm saying I'm more than
00:27:54
happy to talk to you all
00:27:57
Greg admitted to calling Abraham's
00:28:00
mother and pretending to be her missing
00:28:02
son
00:28:03
he also confessed to calling detective
00:28:05
David Wallace to report a false sighting
00:28:08
of Abraham in Miami
00:28:10
Greg was apologetic
00:28:13
he said he'd been paid to make the calls
00:28:16
by the woman he'd met in the Lakeland
00:28:17
Mall parking lot
00:28:19
her name was D.D Moore
00:28:23
Greg thought he was doing Abraham a
00:28:25
favor by making the calls adding
00:28:28
I don't know anything about where
00:28:30
Abraham is why he's gone or when he's
00:28:32
coming back
00:28:34
I've been trying to reach him myself
00:28:38
detectives also spoke with Abraham's
00:28:40
cousin Cedric Adam who said he'd
00:28:42
received a birthday card and daily calls
00:28:45
from Abraham
00:28:46
Cedric admitted he'd been lying
00:28:50
he claimed he'd been paid around five
00:28:52
thousand dollars to spread the word that
00:28:54
Abraham had gone away of his own accord
00:28:58
Cedric desperately needed money and only
00:29:00
agreed because he thought it was
00:29:02
harmless just the way to help Abraham
00:29:04
and debate his aunt's worry
00:29:08
when asked who paid him to lie about
00:29:10
Abraham Cedric said
00:29:13
this woman named to DD Moore
00:29:19
D-Day Moore was a certified nurse's
00:29:21
assistant who ran a nursing staffing
00:29:23
agency called American medical
00:29:25
professionals
00:29:27
in 2008 she attended a small business
00:29:29
conference in Florida where she observed
00:29:32
a panel discussion featuring a real
00:29:33
estate agent
00:29:35
the agent spoke of having Once Sold a
00:29:38
house to a lottery winner named to
00:29:39
Abraham Shakespeare
00:29:42
he had changed the way she viewed wealth
00:29:44
specifically that money does not equal
00:29:47
happiness
00:29:50
after hearing Abraham's story D.D Moore
00:29:53
was inspired to write about him for a
00:29:55
magazine article
00:29:56
in October 2008 she arranged to meet
00:29:59
Abraham
00:30:01
by this point his 17 million dollars had
00:30:04
been whittled down significantly
00:30:07
he had a little over a million dollars
00:30:09
left along with the just three million
00:30:11
dollars worth of assets
00:30:14
D-Day quickly realized that his rags to
00:30:17
Rich's story was in fact a riches to
00:30:20
rags one
00:30:22
she witnessed firsthand the andalus
00:30:24
pestering Abraham endured from those
00:30:26
seeking what little money he had left
00:30:29
he was downtrodden and distrustful
00:30:32
when dd pitched her article idea in
00:30:35
which she intended to highlight
00:30:36
Abraham's generosity and kindness he
00:30:39
became noticeably upbeat
00:30:42
in DD filmed a candid interview with
00:30:45
Abraham as he watched a live feed from
00:30:47
the various security cameras positioned
00:30:49
around his home
00:30:51
Dede asked if he ever got tired of
00:30:53
people asking him for money
00:30:56
Abraham replied
00:30:58
I've been tired they don't take no for
00:31:01
an answer so I just let him keep on
00:31:03
keeping on asking
00:31:07
in time Abraham confided in DD about his
00:31:10
dire Financial Straits
00:31:12
he'd followed poor advice and failed to
00:31:15
invest his money wisely
00:31:17
Dede felt sorry for him
00:31:20
she offered to protect Abraham from
00:31:22
being taken advantage of any further
00:31:25
although she was shy and meek she
00:31:27
pursued those who had borrowed money
00:31:29
from Abraham and ensured they made
00:31:31
repayments
00:31:33
she also organized for Judy Hagins to
00:31:36
have power of attorney over Abraham's
00:31:38
remaining money
00:31:39
this meant anyone who wanted funds would
00:31:42
have to go through Duty
00:31:45
Abraham had been moving his money from
00:31:47
bank to bank on a whim
00:31:49
D-Day advised him to secure his leftover
00:31:52
money in a single Bank of America
00:31:54
account under his own name
00:31:56
[Music]
00:31:58
D.D Abraham and Judy got together
00:32:00
periodically to discuss Abraham's
00:32:03
finances with DD keeping record of the
00:32:05
meetings for the bank
00:32:07
she was dismayed to learn that Abraham
00:32:10
was using his money for what she had
00:32:11
noted as criminal activity
00:32:14
he was removed as an authorized signer
00:32:17
of his account leaving just DeDe and
00:32:19
Judy with access
00:32:22
they became a buffer between Abraham and
00:32:25
any unwise financial decisions
00:32:28
D-Day also helped to manage all of
00:32:30
Abraham's assets including his property
00:32:34
DD encouraged Abraham to start living
00:32:37
his life
00:32:38
in their recorded interview she asked
00:32:41
where he would like to go
00:32:43
he responded
00:32:45
it don't matter to me I'm not a picky
00:32:48
person
00:32:49
D-Day offered suggestions California a
00:32:53
foreign country
00:32:55
seemingly irritated by DD's prying
00:32:58
Abraham motioned for her to turn off the
00:33:00
camera
00:33:02
are you gonna miss your home DD asked
00:33:05
Abraham responded
00:33:08
yep but Life Goes On
00:33:11
[Music]
00:33:16
DD got the sense that Abraham was
00:33:18
planning to take off at any moment
00:33:21
then one day he told her he'd obtained a
00:33:23
fake passport under the name Rodriguez
00:33:27
Abraham began working to break his tires
00:33:29
to Lakeland as quickly as possible
00:33:32
he offered to sell DD his house for a
00:33:35
little over five hundred thousand
00:33:36
dollars
00:33:37
she didn't have that much money but the
00:33:40
pair reached an agreement
00:33:42
D-Day could live in the house and make
00:33:44
small purchases for Abraham such as
00:33:47
flights or cruise tickets as a gradual
00:33:49
means of paying off the debt
00:33:52
Abraham then asked for Dede's help to
00:33:55
make him disappear
00:33:57
having grown attached to Abraham and his
00:34:00
plight she agreed
00:34:03
when Abraham left Lakeland Dede spread
00:34:06
conflicting rumors about where he'd gone
00:34:08
and why to prevent him from being traced
00:34:11
she also shared alleged sightings of
00:34:14
Abraham so people knew he was all right
00:34:16
[Music]
00:34:18
he had left Dede his cell phone allowing
00:34:20
her to send a text on his behalf to his
00:34:23
friends and family
00:34:26
whenever concerns for Abraham grew DD
00:34:29
used money he had given her to pay
00:34:31
people to claim they'd heard from him
00:34:35
she paid Greg Smith 300 to call
00:34:38
detective David Wallace and report a
00:34:40
false sighting of Abraham in Miami
00:34:42
she gave Greg a further 350 to call
00:34:46
Abraham's mother
00:34:49
she'd even broke an attorney-client
00:34:51
privilege by staging a call to Abraham's
00:34:53
attorney in October
00:34:55
Abraham had told her
00:34:58
you handle all the business I got to go
00:35:04
when approached by detectives DD became
00:35:06
emotional as she divulged what she'd
00:35:09
done
00:35:10
she claimed not to know where Abraham
00:35:12
was but maintained that the two had met
00:35:14
up and spoken since he fell off the grid
00:35:17
in April 2009.
00:35:20
DD said she'd initially been under the
00:35:22
impression that she was simply keeping
00:35:24
things in order until Abraham came home
00:35:27
but over time she suspected he never
00:35:30
intended to return
00:35:33
she felt she had misjudged him saying
00:35:36
I've got all this trouble on me when all
00:35:39
I was trying to do was help the man
00:35:43
D-Day willingly assisted investigators
00:35:45
with their inquiries
00:35:47
eventually she admitted there were
00:35:49
several other reasons Abraham might have
00:35:51
fled
00:35:53
she disclosed that the real reason
00:35:54
Abraham had her manage his money was to
00:35:57
avoid paying child support
00:35:59
he also had a drug problem and might
00:36:02
have been lured into dealing in a
00:36:03
desperate bid to rebuild his wealth
00:36:07
then Dede mentioned an incriminating
00:36:09
videotape
00:36:10
it allegedly showed footage of Abraham
00:36:13
quote having sex with a 14 year old girl
00:36:19
whatever the case Abraham's friends and
00:36:21
Associates in Lakeland agreed on one
00:36:24
thing
00:36:25
if anyone knew where Abraham was it was
00:36:28
D.D Moore
00:36:34
d-day's admissions put her directly in
00:36:37
the spotlight
00:36:38
reporters confronted her in public
00:36:40
police constantly requested interviews
00:36:43
and her computer files and business
00:36:44
records were taken for examination
00:36:48
to quell the mounting suspicion against
00:36:50
her DD did her own work to find Abraham
00:36:54
she met up with Greg Smith the man she'd
00:36:56
previously paid to make fraudulent calls
00:36:59
on Abraham's behalf
00:37:01
DD vented to Greg about the stress she
00:37:04
was under and Greg reassured her that he
00:37:06
would help until Abraham reappeared
00:37:11
d-day's demeanor suddenly changed she
00:37:14
clawed at Greg's chest looking for a
00:37:16
listening device
00:37:18
Greg pulled away angrily asking what the
00:37:21
[ __ ] you doing
00:37:23
DD composed herself and apologized
00:37:26
she was riddled with anxiety and
00:37:28
paranoia and didn't know who to trust
00:37:32
she blamed Abraham for leaving her to
00:37:34
clean up his mess and Greg consoled her
00:37:38
cried and told him
00:37:41
I see why Abraham says you're a good
00:37:43
friend I just want to thank you for
00:37:45
believing in me and being on my side
00:37:48
[Music]
00:37:50
December 2009 came to a close with no
00:37:54
sign of Abraham Shakespeare
00:37:56
in late January 2010 DD Moore met with
00:38:00
Greg Smith again
00:38:03
the pair spoke about how the police were
00:38:05
purposefully stirring [ __ ] up by
00:38:07
intimidating Abraham's Support Network
00:38:10
phones had been tapped homes were
00:38:12
searched and property seized
00:38:15
Dede believed the police were trying to
00:38:17
get them to change their story
00:38:19
[Music]
00:38:20
Greg encouraged her to remain strong
00:38:22
reminding her that they were in this
00:38:24
together
00:38:26
I've only been talking to you because
00:38:28
I'm trying to find Abraham Dede said
00:38:31
I've never been so scared in my life
00:38:36
tensions were growing in the Lakeland
00:38:38
Community
00:38:39
people were accusing DD of ripping off
00:38:42
Abraham and she feared violent reprisal
00:38:45
she informed Greg that Abraham was
00:38:48
connected to several gun and drug
00:38:49
dealers and this made her particularly
00:38:52
nervous
00:38:54
Dede had told the police who these men
00:38:56
were prompting the police to confront
00:38:59
them with Dede's accusations
00:39:02
that was when she realized that the
00:39:04
police didn't care if she was killed
00:39:08
DD also told Greg that she'd been
00:39:11
approached by Abraham's cousin Cedric
00:39:13
Adam whom she'd previously paid to lie
00:39:16
about Abraham
00:39:18
Cedric told DD that he'd been in contact
00:39:20
with Abraham and said he wanted Cedric
00:39:23
to have his home on Red Hawk Bend to
00:39:25
drive
00:39:27
Dede was unsure what to do about this
00:39:31
if it was true Cedric could establish a
00:39:34
line of communication between Abraham
00:39:35
and the authorities yet Cedric wasn't
00:39:39
exactly credible
00:39:40
[Music]
00:39:41
then there was d-day's own distrust of
00:39:44
the police
00:39:45
she had grown to suspect that they were
00:39:47
trying to frame her for Abraham's
00:39:49
disappearance
00:39:50
[Music]
00:39:54
DeDe and Greg bought burner cell phones
00:39:57
so they could communicate freely
00:40:00
one night they met at a Comfort Inn
00:40:02
where Greg booked a room under a fake
00:40:04
name
00:40:06
Dede was first to arrive
00:40:10
anxious about leaving any trace of her
00:40:12
presence she donned plastic gloves a
00:40:15
surgical mask disposable shoe covers and
00:40:17
a hair net
00:40:19
when Greg showed up he put on the same
00:40:22
protective outfit
00:40:25
Dede was fed up and had decided to take
00:40:27
matters into her own hands
00:40:30
she pulled out a laptop and printer
00:40:33
with Greg's help she started typing a
00:40:35
letter addressed to Abraham
00:40:37
Shakespeare's Mother Elizabeth
00:40:40
but the letter wasn't going to be from
00:40:42
Dede she was writing it as though it was
00:40:45
from Abraham himself
00:40:48
convinced that Abraham wasn't coming
00:40:51
back to help her Dede was desperate to
00:40:53
redirect the investigative spotlight
00:40:56
Greg advised her
00:40:59
don't mention yourself too much
00:41:01
otherwise it will come off as suspicious
00:41:05
the letter was several pages long and
00:41:08
gave various reasons why Abraham wanted
00:41:10
to leave home
00:41:12
Dede wrote
00:41:14
I like being missing just not all over
00:41:17
the news I've been through a lot mum you
00:41:21
know it I'm just tired
00:41:24
she made up a story that someone had
00:41:27
recognized Abraham and he'd had to pay a
00:41:29
police officer twenty thousand dollars
00:41:31
to keep his secret
00:41:33
in reference to herself D-Day wrote
00:41:37
don't worry about D if she goes to jail
00:41:40
she will be okay the charges won't stick
00:41:44
there are too many people that know I
00:41:46
left I gave her enough money she knew
00:41:49
what to expect she should have not
00:41:52
gotten involved so now she just has to
00:41:55
deal with it
00:41:57
remembering that Abraham was illiterate
00:42:00
and incapable of riding long-winded
00:42:02
prose DD added
00:42:05
I still can't write a letter a good
00:42:07
friend is typing it for me I will see
00:42:10
you I promise just give me some time
00:42:16
Greg Smith was impressed the letter
00:42:19
didn't sound like it had come from DD at
00:42:21
all
00:42:22
they printed it off and slid it into an
00:42:25
envelope
00:42:26
the pair wiped the room down with towels
00:42:29
then they drove to Abraham's mother's
00:42:32
home where Greg placed the letter in her
00:42:34
mailbox
00:42:35
[Music]
00:42:39
but any hopes that the letter would help
00:42:41
a DD were dashed when it failed to make
00:42:43
the news
00:42:45
Elizabeth didn't speak about it publicly
00:42:48
and the police seemed unaware of its
00:42:50
existence
00:42:51
instead investigators up to the reward
00:42:54
for information to ten thousand dollars
00:42:56
with the promise that any tipsters
00:42:58
wouldn't have to testify in future Court
00:43:01
proceedings
00:43:03
the county sheriff announced
00:43:06
none of the circumstances and none of
00:43:09
the investigation we've completed up to
00:43:11
this point leads us to believe Abraham
00:43:13
Shakespeare is still alive
00:43:17
they officially named it D.D Moore as a
00:43:20
person of interest
00:43:22
Dede was destroyed
00:43:25
had Elizabeth kept the letter to herself
00:43:27
or were the police just keeping it on
00:43:30
the down low
00:43:32
DD called Greg Smith for guidance
00:43:34
expressing her Devastation that police
00:43:37
feared Abraham was dead and that she was
00:43:40
being viewed as a suspect
00:43:43
[ __ ] all that Greg told her they don't
00:43:46
have a body
00:43:48
Day Day brushed his reassurances aside
00:43:51
saying
00:43:52
yeah but that doesn't seem to matter to
00:43:55
these [ __ ] they're just trying to
00:43:57
pin something on me and I haven't done
00:43:59
anything to the man I would never ever
00:44:01
do anything to hurt another human being
00:44:04
all I have ever done is try to help
00:44:06
Abraham
00:44:09
hours later Greg agreed to meet DD at a
00:44:13
service station in Plant City 10 miles
00:44:15
west of Lakeland
00:44:17
as soon as Greg pulled up a visibly
00:44:20
Overjoyed DD rushed over to his car
00:44:22
yelling
00:44:24
Abraham's back
00:44:28
[Music]
00:44:35
DD could barely contain her excitement
00:44:39
someone had called her to report seeing
00:44:41
Abraham at a home near Walden Lake
00:44:44
Dede had gone to the location herself
00:44:47
and spotted a car with a figure inside
00:44:50
she was certain it was Abraham
00:44:53
Greg was flawed
00:44:56
he and DD went to the location but the
00:44:58
car was no longer there
00:45:00
regardless DD was relieved
00:45:05
soon other alleged sightings of Abraham
00:45:07
began to spread but to DD's
00:45:10
disappointment none of them made the
00:45:12
news
00:45:13
Greg tried to reassure her that the
00:45:16
media were probably just being cautious
00:45:18
given the case was riddled with rumors
00:45:21
deflated Dede told Greg
00:45:24
the police don't care they just want to
00:45:27
make me the full guy for Abraham not
00:45:29
being around
00:45:31
Greg replied
00:45:33
well you need your own full guy you need
00:45:37
somebody who will take this case for you
00:45:39
take the rap
00:45:42
he suggested DD finds someone who was
00:45:44
about to serve a long prison sentence
00:45:46
and cut a deal with them
00:45:49
what deal you cut is between you and him
00:45:51
Greg continued
00:45:53
I'm just saying there are people who
00:45:55
will do this for you and get the heat
00:45:57
off us
00:45:59
and Dede was excited by Greg's
00:46:02
proposition she asked if he had anyone
00:46:04
in mind
00:46:06
Greg said he had a cousin named Mike
00:46:09
Smith who was about to serve 25 years on
00:46:11
drug charges
00:46:14
Dede tearfully embraced Greg grateful
00:46:16
that he was still supporting her
00:46:19
he was in her eyes an exceptional person
00:46:23
Greg reiterated that he had been with DD
00:46:26
since the beginning and would remain
00:46:28
with her for the whole way
00:46:32
the pair approached to Mike Smith with
00:46:34
their proposal
00:46:35
in exchange for fifty thousand dollars
00:46:38
Mike would tell police that Abraham owed
00:46:40
him money for a cannabis deal
00:46:43
because DD had been overseeing Abraham's
00:46:46
money she would say that Abraham
00:46:48
requested the funds from her but she
00:46:50
refused
00:46:52
a confrontation eventually ensued
00:46:54
between the two men and Abraham pulled
00:46:57
out a gun prompting Mike to shoot him in
00:47:00
self-defense
00:47:02
Mike Smith agreed to become DD and
00:47:05
Greg's Fall Guy
00:47:07
the money would provide security for his
00:47:09
family and given he was going to prison
00:47:11
anyway he felt he had nothing to lose
00:47:19
while D-Day was relieved by what she saw
00:47:21
as a foolproof plan she was starting to
00:47:24
worry that maybe Abraham wasn't all
00:47:26
right
00:47:27
perhaps he had been killed after all and
00:47:30
those who knew the truth were being
00:47:32
threatened to stay quiet
00:47:35
DD's suspicions fell on a man she knew
00:47:38
only as Ronald the worst of the gun and
00:47:41
drug dealers Abraham associated with
00:47:44
in the wake of Abraham's disappearance
00:47:47
Ronald had initially told DD that
00:47:49
Abraham was okay
00:47:51
but as she'd started to sense that
00:47:53
something was amiss Ronald became
00:47:55
aggressive threatening to kill Day Day
00:47:58
and her teenage son
00:48:00
menacing notes began appearing at
00:48:02
d-day's back door which she was certain
00:48:04
were from Ronald
00:48:08
Greg encouraged a Dede to confront
00:48:10
Ronald even suggesting she bribe him to
00:48:13
reveal key information
00:48:15
Dede considered it but was more tempted
00:48:18
by Mike Smith being willing to take the
00:48:20
rap for Abraham's murder
00:48:22
this would take the heat off DD entirely
00:48:26
the only problem was that Mike had made
00:48:28
a specific request
00:48:31
he needed a body
00:48:33
no one would take his story seriously
00:48:35
without one and it would remove any
00:48:38
doubt that Abraham was still alive
00:48:42
because they didn't have a body Dede
00:48:45
hoped a murder weapon would suffice
00:48:47
they could plant Mike's fingerprints on
00:48:49
a gun and then have Mike direct people
00:48:51
to the weapon
00:48:53
she even had one they could use a 38
00:48:56
caliber Smith and Wesson revolver
00:48:59
although it was registered in Dede's
00:49:01
name Mark could say that he'd stolen it
00:49:03
from her house or she could say that
00:49:06
she'd sold it to Abraham
00:49:08
better still they could remove the
00:49:10
weapon's serial number to prevent it
00:49:12
being traced altogether
00:49:15
Mike was reluctant to go through with
00:49:17
the plan without a body
00:49:19
he knew of someone who had attempted a
00:49:21
similar con but the supposed murder
00:49:23
victim had suddenly reappeared
00:49:26
all the conspirators were charged with
00:49:28
insurance fraud
00:49:31
this rattled DD and she began to doubt
00:49:34
the plan
00:49:35
confronting Ronald seemed safer
00:49:39
perhaps she could offer him something to
00:49:41
elicit a confession and the location of
00:49:43
Abraham's body
00:49:45
Greg ordered Dede to call Ronald and
00:49:48
find out everything they needed to know
00:49:51
[Music]
00:49:53
the next time Greg and Dede met she had
00:49:56
an update
00:49:57
she'd gotten in contact with Ronald and
00:50:00
he'd told her everything
00:50:02
Abraham had indeed run afoul of the drug
00:50:04
dealers and was killed as a result
00:50:08
Ronald had intended to set D-Day up for
00:50:11
the crime and admitted that he'd buried
00:50:13
Abraham's body on her property in Plant
00:50:15
City
00:50:17
and Greg made a plan
00:50:20
under the cover of Darkness Greg and
00:50:23
Mark would dig up Abraham's body
00:50:26
Dede would stay at Abraham's Lakeland
00:50:28
home with her family establishing her
00:50:30
alibi
00:50:32
she suggested that Abraham's body be
00:50:34
taken out to the countryside and burnt
00:50:37
she gave Greg her revolver to prepare it
00:50:40
for Mark's confession before making a
00:50:42
final revelation
00:50:44
Abraham was rumored to have been in
00:50:46
possession of sixty seven thousand
00:50:48
dollars when he was killed
00:50:50
she told Greg and Mike to search for it
00:50:55
in the early afternoon of Monday January
00:50:58
25 2010 Greg arrived at DD's house on
00:51:02
the regional outskirts of Plant City
00:51:05
she supplied him with digging implements
00:51:07
and cleaning products before leading him
00:51:09
to a 30 by 30 foot concrete slab in her
00:51:12
backyard
00:51:13
she pinpointed a specific spot saying
00:51:17
that's where you should dig right under
00:51:20
there
00:51:21
maybe six feet down
00:51:25
later that night Dede was in Lakeland as
00:51:28
planned when she received a call from
00:51:30
Greg
00:51:31
he thundered down the line
00:51:34
what the [ __ ] are you doing
00:51:37
he'd arrived at d-days to commence the
00:51:39
Dig only to find a large police presence
00:51:42
already there
00:51:44
Greg and Mike backed away to a secluded
00:51:46
spot and called Dede accusing her of
00:51:49
setting them up
00:51:52
I swear to you Greg she told him I don't
00:51:54
know nothing about this
00:51:57
Greg demanded to meet up Dede was
00:52:00
reluctant as it would blow her Alibi but
00:52:03
Greg was Furious
00:52:05
they needed a plan B and they needed it
00:52:08
now
00:52:10
DD agreed to make Greg at the Lakeland
00:52:12
Mall parking lot
00:52:14
she told her family that she was going
00:52:16
to help a friend who was having car
00:52:18
trouble
00:52:20
the pair sat in Greg's car frantically
00:52:23
discussing their options
00:52:25
Greg suspected the police were tipped
00:52:27
off and had a warrant to search Dede's
00:52:29
property but DD maintained that she
00:52:31
hadn't told anyone about their scheme
00:52:35
all of a sudden two cars sped into the
00:52:38
parking lot and pulled up aside Greg's
00:52:40
vehicle
00:52:41
detectives emerged and took Greg and
00:52:44
D-Day into custody
00:52:47
Day Day immediately threw Greg under the
00:52:50
bus saying that he had killed Abraham
00:52:53
the interviewing detectives eyed each
00:52:55
other before one remarked
00:52:58
you know that Greg didn't kill Abraham
00:53:00
Shakespeare
00:53:03
Dede began to cry but insisted that Greg
00:53:06
was guilty
00:53:08
then she was given news that left her
00:53:10
speechless
00:53:13
Greg Smith is working with us
00:53:20
Greg Smith was first introduced to Dede
00:53:23
Moore by his good friend Abraham
00:53:25
Shakespeare
00:53:27
DD whose full name was Darice Donegan
00:53:30
Moore came across as timid and uneasy
00:53:33
her handshake was gentle and she
00:53:35
struggled to maintain eye contact
00:53:38
when D-Day began managing Abraham's
00:53:40
money Craig was skeptical
00:53:43
she wasn't an accredited accountant or
00:53:45
financial advisor
00:53:47
she claimed to have written a financial
00:53:49
self-help book called organize me now
00:53:52
but it hadn't been published
00:53:55
Greg bit his tongue so as not to
00:53:57
undermine Abraham's decision but warned
00:54:00
him to be careful
00:54:02
he never saw his friend again
00:54:07
with Abraham mysteriously out of the
00:54:09
picture Dede started chasing Greg to
00:54:12
repay the 63 000 that Abraham had lent
00:54:15
him for his mortgage
00:54:17
then when Abraham was reported missing
00:54:20
D-Day offered to eradicate the dead
00:54:22
entirely on one condition
00:54:25
she needed Greg's help to mislead the
00:54:27
police
00:54:30
day day new detectives would be on to
00:54:33
her
00:54:34
from a young age she was acutely aware
00:54:36
of the power and privilege of wealth and
00:54:38
was ashamed of her own family's
00:54:40
financial status
00:54:42
in her teens she made her parents drop
00:54:45
her off away from her friends so they
00:54:47
wouldn't see their cheap old car
00:54:50
she sought luxuries her parents couldn't
00:54:52
afford like expensive clothing cars and
00:54:55
a jewelry
00:54:58
at age 22. DD was involved in a head-on
00:55:01
collision
00:55:03
the two occupants in the other vehicle
00:55:05
were killed but Dede made a full
00:55:07
recovery
00:55:09
afterwards Dede's mother noticed an
00:55:11
erratic shift in her daughter's behavior
00:55:13
that left her wondering if DayDay had an
00:55:16
undetected brain injury
00:55:19
her job as a nursing assistant suited
00:55:22
her seemingly kind and patient
00:55:24
personality but it didn't pay well
00:55:27
still fixated on money DD established a
00:55:30
moderately successful side business
00:55:32
selling prepaid cell phones and calling
00:55:34
plans
00:55:36
colleagues recalled DD's natural Acumen
00:55:39
for business but it was soon revealed
00:55:41
that she had skimmed sixty thousand
00:55:43
dollars off the payroll
00:55:46
DD's money woes continued she was caught
00:55:49
shoplifting and arrested for writing a
00:55:51
bad check
00:55:52
she failed to make her car repayments
00:55:55
and was evicted for failing to pay rent
00:55:58
by mid-2001 she owed upwards of fifty
00:56:01
thousand dollars
00:56:05
not long after this DD was discovered in
00:56:08
waimama 40 miles south from her home in
00:56:11
Plant City
00:56:13
she was disheveled and destroyed with
00:56:15
her wrists bound with duct tape
00:56:18
Dede told police that three clean-cut
00:56:21
tattooed Hispanic men had carjacked her
00:56:23
at gunpoint
00:56:25
they deducted and raped her then thrown
00:56:28
her in a ditch before taking off in her
00:56:30
car
00:56:30
[Music]
00:56:32
a tip-off led to the discovery of Dede's
00:56:35
car in a garage 30 miles north in Pasco
00:56:38
County and to the complete unraveling of
00:56:41
her story
00:56:43
day had paid an accomplice to help stage
00:56:46
the attack so she could claim Insurance
00:56:47
on her stolen car
00:56:50
she was convicted of insurance fraud and
00:56:52
falsely reporting a crime and given a
00:56:55
Year's probation
00:56:58
years later in 2006 DD was accused of
00:57:02
stealing sixty thousand dollars that was
00:57:04
given to her to start a new business
00:57:07
the case was closed due to a lack of
00:57:09
evidence
00:57:10
after this D-Day faced two civil
00:57:13
lawsuits for unpaid services
00:57:16
fronting her new Venture American
00:57:18
medical professionals she attended the
00:57:21
small business conference that
00:57:22
ultimately led her to Abraham
00:57:24
Shakespeare
00:57:27
within 90 days of the pair meeting in
00:57:30
D.D Moore virtually had complete control
00:57:32
of Abraham's money
00:57:34
investigators discovered that the final
00:57:37
withdrawals from Abraham's bank account
00:57:39
as well as his assets were transferred
00:57:41
to the business account of American
00:57:43
medical professionals
00:57:46
around this time D-Day made a large
00:57:49
withdrawals from this account purchasing
00:57:51
jewelry and several high-end cars as
00:57:54
well as paying for restaurant meals and
00:57:56
travel
00:57:57
while DD was seemingly helping Abraham
00:58:00
reclaim money he'd loaned to others the
00:58:03
repayments actually went straight to her
00:58:07
D-Day claimed to have bought Abraham's
00:58:10
Mansion home from him but there was no
00:58:12
documentation to prove it
00:58:14
when detectives confronted her with this
00:58:17
discrepancy and many others Dede altered
00:58:20
her story with even more outlandish
00:58:22
explanations
00:58:24
some were willing to believe that DD's
00:58:27
dealings with Abraham were just
00:58:28
unscrupulous coincidences and that he
00:58:31
was indeed in hiding
00:58:33
others were certain he had met with Foul
00:58:35
Play but there wasn't sufficient
00:58:37
evidence to support an arrest
00:58:40
everything pertaining to DD Moore had
00:58:43
been searched
00:58:44
aside from her efforts to claim
00:58:46
Abraham's last million dollars not a
00:58:48
single thing was found to indicate that
00:58:51
she had physically harmed him
00:58:56
it wasn't until detectives interviewed
00:58:58
Greg Smith and learned he was in cahoots
00:59:01
with DD that they formulated a plan
00:59:04
we think D-Day more does know something
00:59:07
they told Greg and we need someone to
00:59:10
help us get that information out of her
00:59:13
Greg was then asked to become a
00:59:15
confidential informant
00:59:18
it wasn't a decision Greg made lightly
00:59:20
but he harbored his own suspicions about
00:59:23
DD
00:59:24
he spoke to Judy Hagins the other person
00:59:27
involved in overseeing Abraham's
00:59:29
finances
00:59:31
Judy recalled a time when Dede called
00:59:34
her in a panic
00:59:35
Abraham was heading to the bank and Dede
00:59:38
needed Judy to stall him
00:59:40
he can't go to the bank DD told her
00:59:45
Abraham once confided in Duty
00:59:48
now you know that white woman got me
00:59:50
money she can do anything to me
00:59:54
Greg had a gut feeling Abraham was dead
00:59:58
he told detective Wallace I'm in
01:00:01
whatever I got to do I'm all in
01:00:06
during their initial meeting Dede
01:00:09
launched herself at Greg suspecting he
01:00:11
was wearing a wire
01:00:13
he was able to reassure her
01:00:16
they met multiple times over the
01:00:18
following weeks all the while Greg
01:00:21
covertly recorded their conversations
01:00:24
Dede spouted off unbelievable stories
01:00:27
non-stop barely giving Greg a moment
01:00:30
silence
01:00:31
one minute she was sobbing in his arms
01:00:33
the next she'd snapped to a composed
01:00:36
State and rattle on about a different
01:00:38
subject
01:00:40
she seemed to lose herself in her
01:00:42
convoluted lies and made up a dangerous
01:00:44
drug dealer named Ronald to implicating
01:00:47
Abraham's disappearance
01:00:49
later she talked about Ronald as if he
01:00:52
were a real person
01:00:54
Greg was Disturbed
01:00:57
still he went along with whatever
01:00:59
strange plot Dede devised to hinder the
01:01:02
investigation all the while hoping she'd
01:01:05
reveal what really happened to Abraham
01:01:09
when she wrote a bizarre rambling letter
01:01:11
to Abraham's mother as Abraham Greg
01:01:14
Felder was completely unconvincing but
01:01:16
told her otherwise
01:01:19
after the pair dropped it off in the
01:01:21
mailbox detectives swooped in and took
01:01:23
it as evidence
01:01:26
Greg endured a lot in his role as an
01:01:29
informant
01:01:30
his local community saw him spending
01:01:32
time with DeDe and rumors spread
01:01:35
many suspected the pair had conspired
01:01:38
together to get rid of Abraham
01:01:41
it was far from the truth but Greg
01:01:43
couldn't defend himself lest he ruined
01:01:46
everything he was working for
01:01:48
he couldn't let Dede get away with it
01:01:53
when she started talking about Abraham
01:01:55
being dead the operation kicked up a
01:01:58
notch
01:01:59
an undercover police officer was brought
01:02:01
in to play Mark Smith Greg's
01:02:03
prison-bound cousin
01:02:05
using Mike as a Fall Guy Greg extracted
01:02:09
more compelling evidence from DD
01:02:11
specifically where they would find
01:02:13
Abraham's body
01:02:15
the realization that Abraham had been
01:02:18
murdered was heartbreaking for Greg but
01:02:21
he had succeeded in locating his friend
01:02:28
after learning that Greg Smith was a
01:02:31
police informant DD Moore took a long
01:02:34
deep breath
01:02:36
she then implicated Mike Smith
01:02:39
learning that he was an undercover
01:02:41
detective she burst into tears and began
01:02:44
a long rant blaming drug dealer Ronald
01:02:47
for shooting Abraham with her gun
01:02:50
it was no use
01:02:52
detectives already had audio recordings
01:02:55
of DD fabricating the character of
01:02:57
Ronald to Greg Smith
01:02:59
she went on and on about Ronald before a
01:03:02
detective Cut Her Off saying
01:03:05
Dede Dede
01:03:07
there's no Ronald
01:03:11
she tensed up before telling a news
01:03:13
story about a drug deal gone wrong
01:03:16
DD claimed someone held a gun to her
01:03:18
head and she'd passed out from Fear
01:03:21
she came too only to witness Abraham
01:03:24
being fatally shot
01:03:26
the detectives asked who the shooter was
01:03:28
but DD started saying she couldn't
01:03:31
remember
01:03:32
one detective remarked
01:03:35
you can't tell us because it's you and
01:03:38
you're scared
01:03:41
DD's ex-husband revealed that he'd
01:03:43
delivered a backhoe to her Plant City
01:03:45
Home in April 2009.
01:03:48
he used it to help DJ dig a large hole
01:03:51
as she wanted to burn and bury some
01:03:53
remodeling debris
01:03:56
she asked him to return hours later to
01:03:58
fill the hole with dirt
01:04:01
a cement contractor poured the slab in
01:04:04
d-day's backyard that same month
01:04:06
she told him she wanted a solid slab to
01:04:09
park her vehicles on
01:04:12
eventually DD would admit that Abraham's
01:04:15
body was buried under the concrete slab
01:04:17
in her backyard
01:04:20
following two days of excavation work
01:04:22
Abraham Shakespeare's remains were
01:04:24
uncovered six feet below the slab nine
01:04:27
months after he'd disappeared
01:04:30
he'd sustained two 38 caliber gunshots
01:04:33
to the chest but the bullets were too
01:04:35
deteriorated to be compared to DD's
01:04:37
revolver
01:04:40
she continued to give other explanations
01:04:42
for Abraham's murder each more
01:04:44
outlandish than the last
01:04:47
she implicated everyone from Abraham's
01:04:49
cousin Cedric Adam to his attorney
01:04:52
Howard stitzel
01:04:54
at one point Dede claimed she and
01:04:57
Abraham had fought over money and he'd
01:04:59
gripped her throat
01:05:00
as she started to lose Consciousness
01:05:03
someone shot Abraham but she didn't see
01:05:06
who
01:05:07
she conceded that it could have been her
01:05:09
but if it was it was in self-defense
01:05:15
just when detectives thought they'd
01:05:17
heard it all Dede said her 14 year old
01:05:20
son was responsible
01:05:23
she then tried to convince her ailing
01:05:25
elderly father to confess to the murder
01:05:29
in the eyes of detectives it was clear
01:05:31
that Dede was a habitual and Shameless
01:05:34
liar
01:05:35
they described her as a professional con
01:05:37
artist a Devil in Disguise
01:05:41
DD Moore was charged with the first
01:05:43
degree murder of Abraham Shakespeare
01:05:50
Dede's trial commenced in November 2012
01:05:53
six years after Abraham Shakespeare won
01:05:56
the lottery
01:05:58
the prosecution posited that Dede had
01:06:01
fanned Abraham's fears of losing his
01:06:03
remaining wealth by exaggerating the
01:06:05
amount he'd lose to paying child support
01:06:09
up until that point Abraham was a good
01:06:11
father
01:06:13
then Dede filled his head with lies
01:06:15
about infidelity and the possibility
01:06:17
that his youngest child wasn't even his
01:06:21
Abraham took a d-day's word that she'd
01:06:24
protect his money if he granted her
01:06:26
access to it
01:06:28
when he realized he was being scammed a
01:06:30
confrontation ensued
01:06:32
D-Day shot Abraham with her revolver
01:06:35
before burying his body in her backyard
01:06:38
she then went about creating conflicting
01:06:40
rumors and false sightings to hinder the
01:06:43
search for Abraham
01:06:47
there was no shortage of witnesses
01:06:48
testifying against a D-Day including the
01:06:51
star witness Greg Smith whose covert
01:06:54
recordings were played
01:06:57
during court DD often broke down in
01:06:59
tears bringing proceedings to a halt
01:07:03
she kept winking smiling and gesturing
01:07:05
to the jury
01:07:06
on one occasion she apparently went into
01:07:09
anaphylactic shock
01:07:12
the judge cautioned the defense
01:07:13
attorneys to control their client
01:07:16
she was so disruptive that the judge
01:07:18
eventually cut off her microphone
01:07:22
the defense highlighted that the case
01:07:24
relied on circumstantial evidence
01:07:27
while they admitted Dede was devious
01:07:29
they argued there was no proof she'd
01:07:31
committed murder
01:07:33
her refusal to provide a clear
01:07:35
explanation of Abraham's murder was
01:07:37
indicative that her life was in danger
01:07:39
and she feared speaking the truth
01:07:43
the defense called No Witnesses instead
01:07:46
relying on painting the prosecution
01:07:48
witnesses as untruthful or unreliable
01:07:53
the jury deliberated for three hours
01:07:55
before finding DD Moore guilty of the
01:07:58
first degree murder of Abraham
01:08:00
Shakespeare
01:08:01
the presiding judge described a DD as
01:08:04
cold calculated and cruel saying she was
01:08:07
quote
01:08:09
probably the most manipulative person
01:08:11
that this court has seen
01:08:14
Abraham Shakespeare was your prey and
01:08:16
your victim
01:08:18
money was the root of the evil that you
01:08:20
brought to Abraham
01:08:24
Abraham's Mother Elizabeth was a
01:08:26
religious person and fundamentally
01:08:28
against the death penalty so the
01:08:30
prosecution didn't push for it
01:08:32
instead Dede Moore was sentenced to life
01:08:35
in prison without parole
01:08:42
Elizabeth expressed gratitude to the
01:08:44
detectives that led the investigation
01:08:46
into her son's disappearance saying
01:08:49
without their dedication and persistence
01:08:52
we might never have found out what
01:08:54
happened to Abraham
01:08:56
during Abraham's memorial service the
01:08:59
large crowd of mourners gave the
01:09:01
detectives a standing ovation
01:09:05
appearing in emotional media interviews
01:09:07
from prison and Dede Moore called anyone
01:09:10
who believed she was guilty an idiot
01:09:13
she blamed her verdict on her legal
01:09:15
team's refusal to let her testify in her
01:09:18
own defense
01:09:20
with each new interview came a different
01:09:22
version of events pertaining to
01:09:24
Abraham's murder
01:09:26
then in 2019 Dede Moore appealed her
01:09:30
conviction
01:09:31
she apologized for her actions this time
01:09:34
claiming Greg Smith killed Abraham after
01:09:37
finding out that he was having an affair
01:09:38
with Greg's wife
01:09:41
her appeal was rejected
01:09:45
an investigator involved with the case
01:09:47
described these claims as typical of DD
01:09:50
saying
01:09:52
she'll go down in her grave trying to
01:09:54
blame this on somebody else
01:09:56
people have asked me if I think she will
01:09:58
ever come clean and I say absolutely not
01:10:02
Dede will die in prison still claiming
01:10:05
her innocence
01:10:08
indeedy maintains her innocence to this
01:10:11
day yet she also accepts that her
01:10:14
ever-changing version of events is
01:10:16
confusing conclusery and vague
01:10:21
lottery winners are often the target of
01:10:23
harassment solicitations scams
01:10:26
extortions burglaries kidnappings and
01:10:29
homicides
01:10:31
therefore winners are advised to keep
01:10:33
quiet hire an attorney and remain
01:10:36
anonymous
01:10:37
if an individual is legally required to
01:10:40
collect their winnings in person it's
01:10:42
common for them to wear a disguise to
01:10:44
avoid the publicity
01:10:46
[Music]
01:10:48
when Abraham Shakespeare won the lottery
01:10:50
regulations in his home state required
01:10:53
all winners publicly reveal their name
01:10:55
and city of residence
01:10:58
in May 2022 Florida introduced a new law
01:11:02
creating a public records exemption for
01:11:04
the names of people who win lottery
01:11:06
prizes of 250 000 or more
01:11:11
the exemption lasts 90 days from the
01:11:13
moment the prize is claimed
01:11:15
this is deemed sufficient time for
01:11:18
winners to plan responsibly obtain
01:11:20
Financial advice put their funds into
01:11:22
Investments or leave their old lives
01:11:25
behind
01:11:27
one of the Bill's sponsors said
01:11:30
at some point in our lives we all dream
01:11:33
of winning the lottery
01:11:35
unfortunately for some that dream
01:11:38
becomes a nightmare
01:11:40
[Music]
01:11:42
in the aftermath of Abraham
01:11:43
Shakespeare's murder only a couple of
01:11:45
hundred thousand dollars of his 17
01:11:47
million dollar lottery win were
01:11:49
recovered
01:11:51
that money was placed in a trust for his
01:11:53
sons
01:11:54
[Music]
01:11:56
at Abraham's mansion on Red Hawk Bend
01:11:59
Drive two welcome mats greeted guests at
01:12:02
the front door
01:12:04
one featured the message bless this home
01:12:07
the other read go away
01:12:10
[Music]
01:12:12
Jim Valenti was Abraham's appellate
01:12:14
attorney during his civil suit in 2007.
01:12:18
at the time Jim said
01:12:22
Abraham Shakespeare was a man who was
01:12:24
very Weary by the time he got to me
01:12:27
I wonder if he wouldn't say he would
01:12:30
like to go back to the day before he won
01:12:32
that money
01:12:33
[Music]
01:12:44
[Music]
01:12:54
[Music]