6 Lottery Winners Killed By Their Relatives

Lottery wins should be a blessing for the entire family. After all, how can things go wrong when financial stability is secured? However, money makes people do strange things, and lottery winners are not immune to envy and greed from their closest circle. 

Some winners have been affected by the lottery curse and paid the ultimate price. Instead of living a fairy tale ushered in by life-changing jackpot wins for some lottery winners, their wins resulted in a nightmare, with their relatives being the antagonists. We researched cases of jackpot lottery winners killed by relatives and found six shocking examples. Let’s examine these disturbing stories.

Killed By Abusive Husband

Tiffani Hill won $2 million in the California lottery in November 2020. The 31-year-old mother of a 1-year-old daughter could have hoped for a carefree life after the big win. However, the lives of Tiffani and her daughter tragically ended only eight months after the lottery win. The person responsible for the heinous crime was Hill’s husband John Donato.

Hill married Donato shortly after the lottery win, but the honeymoon faded away quickly after John started displaying his abusive side. According to a news report, Tiffani decided to end the relationship. The real motivation for the double homicide is not clear, considering John committed suicide after killing Hill and her daughter. It’s possible that John did not want to lose access to the money, or simply, his abusive side got the better of him and lost control after a heated argument.

Nephew Stabbed Uncle to Death

Owen Dillard (73) was discovered in his apartment with multiple stab wounds. It was not hard for police to pinpoint the motive, taking into account that Dillard had recently won $10,000 playing the lottery and according to a neighbor, Owen had also won $50,000 six months earlier, playing the Win4 Game. Dillard had a reputation as a lender eager to help out people.

There were no signs of forced entry into Owen’s apartment, which led the police to suspect that a relative or friend of Dillard was the murderer. It did not take long for the police to identify Dillard’s nephew. Idris Abdul-Muhaymin is a person of interest.

Idris pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge and received a 24 year prison sentence. Idris visited Owen and requested money, knowing that Dillard recently won the lottery. After killing Dillard, Abdul-Muhaymin took a few dollars from the victim. 

Kidnaped and Killed by Greedy Sister In Law

Jeffrey Dampier literally hit the jackpot playing the Illinois lottery in 1996. Dampier won $20 million, split equally with his wife after their divorce. Shortly after separating from his former wife, Jeffrey married Crystal Jackson and relocated to Florida. The new marriage and business endeavors were going well. It did not look like Dampier would be a lottery winner that later went broke. Jeffery even took financial care of his wife’s sisters.

Kidnaped and Killed by Greedy Sister In Law

Allegedly Dampier had an affair with his sister-in-law Victoria Jackson. This relationship led to Dampier’s demise. In 2005, Victoria and her boyfriend Nathanial Jackson, whose surnames are a coincidence, kidnaped and killed Jeffrey in an attempt to extort money. Both were caught and are serving life sentences.

Poisoned By Her Husband

Money was not an issue for the Ontario couple Roncaiolis, even before Ibi’s $5 million lottery win in 1991, playing the Lotto 6/49. Her husband Joseph, was a successful gynecologist, and the couple appeared to have a happy family life. After the lottery win, Ibi gifted large sums to her sons but also gave $2 million to another son from a previous relationship, which Ibi kept secret from Joseph. Most lottery winners try to stay anonymous after winning the lottery, but Ibi decided to hide the recipient of her generosity.

Poisoned By Her Husband

The latter gift is believed to have angered Joseph, who was not aware of the other son. Another reason for frustration was Ibi’s spending habits, including gambling activities and alcoholism. In an act of frustration or jealousy over the secret son and big gift, Joseph poisoned Ibi with painkillers in 2003. The forensic evidence indicated poisoning, and Joseph was convicted of manslaughter in 2008.

Murders Girlfriend Over $500 Scratch Win

You probably expected to read stories about murders motivated by millions of dollars. But killing a loved one over a small scratch card win is absurd. However, this scenario happened after Terry Martin won $500 from a Texas scratch-off lottery ticket. The win was not a reason for celebration but an argument between Martin and his longtime girlfriend Laurice Hampton.

Murders Girlfriend Over $500 Scratch Win

According to sources, Laurice claimed she deserved to get half of the winnings, an opinion not shared by Terry. The argument got heated, and Terry shot Hampton in the chest and shot himself in the head. Both died from their wounds within hours. According to the police, the couple lived together and had a history of domestic violence.

Slain By Boyfriend

Doris Murray won $5 million in 2007 and opted for 20 annual payments of $172,000 per year after taxes. The 41-year-old Murry did not spend the winnings irresponsibly but decided to save it for her grandchildren. Doris built a new house but did not get to enjoy it for long, being killed one year after the big win.

The person responsible for ending Murray’s life is her boyfriend, Derrick Lorenzo Stanley. According to police, Doris ended the relationship with Stanley, and this might have been the trigger for the murder, although the true motive was never revealed. Derrick admitted to stabbing Doris, after being discovered by Murray’s family in her house and a short police car chase.

FAQs

Is it Common For Relatives to Kill Lottery Winners?
No, it’s not common, but there are several documented cases of lottery winners being killed by relatives. It is more common to be a victim of a lottery scam than to be killed by a relative.
What Is the Most Frequent Motive for Killing Lottery Winners?
Greed is the most frequent motive. There are instances of relatives attempting to steal money or being frustrated that they are not receiving more money.
Which Relative Poses the Biggest Threat to Lottery Winners?
Our research of documented cases shows that anybody can pose a danger, from nephews to husbands. Statistical boyfriends have been responsible for most murders.
Has Anybody Gotten Away With Killing a Lottery Winner?
There are several causes of lottery winners’ murders not being discovered by the police.
Which Country Has the Most Cases of Lottery Winners Murdered by Relatives?
We cannot evaluate every murder case from around the globe and provide an exact answer. It’s important to know that not every country offers lottery games with massive jackpots. Most of the cases are from the USA and Canada, because millions can be won by playing the lottery in these countries, and that is a big motivating factor.

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