The murder of Abraham Shakespeare is featured on ’20/20: Unlucky Numbers,’ airing Friday, April 18, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on ABC
He won millions in the lottery and dreamed of telling his story — but the woman he trusted had other plans.
In 2006, Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million in the Florida lottery, ultimately choosing to take a $17 million lump-sum payout. Shakespeare was generous with his winnings, helping friends and family pay off mortgages — and oftentimes, gave money to those who needed it, including strangers, per an ABC News press release shared with PEOPLE.
But three years later, Shakespeare mysteriously vanished. In January 2010, the 43-year-old’s body was found buried under a concrete slab in Dorice “Dee Dee” Moore’s backyard in Plant City, Fla., according to the Tampa Bay Times.
But who was she — and how was she connected to Shakespeare’s death?
This week’s episode of 20/20 focuses on the case and includes Moore, who was convicted of Shakespeare’s murder, exclusively speaking in a jailhouse call with ABC News’ Matt Gutman. The special, titled “Unlucky Numbers” airs Friday, April 18 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu the next day.
The special will feature exclusive interviews with prosecutors and police detectives involved in the investigation, as well as Shakespeare’s loved ones.
(An exclusive clip of the jailhouse call in 20/20: Unlucky Numbers is shown below.)
Moore befriended Shakespeare in 2008 under the pretense of writing a book about him, but the project never materialized. Instead, she gained control of Shakespeare’s remaining assets, including a $1.5 million annuity, according to the Associated Press.
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Prosecutors said Moore then shot and killed Shakespeare when he became concerned about not having access to his funds, the Lakeland Ledger reported. After she killed him, authorities said Moore told others that Shakespeare was alive before his body was discovered months later, per the outlet. By the time of his death, most of Shakespeare’s money had been spent, prosecutors said.
During her trial, Moore claimed at least five other people were responsible for Shakespeare’s killing, including a drug dealer named “Ronald” and her own teenage son, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
In 2012, Moore was convicted of first-degree murder and is currently serving a sentence of life in prison without parole. According to the Lakeland Ledger, Moore has filed several appeals in the case but remains behind bars.
In her interview from prison, Moore maintains her innocence, and tells Gutman she still thinks about Shakespeare.
“It was wrong,” Moore says on the call. “There was no reason for him to pass away over money but for them to lie in public and say that I took his money…the whole situation was so stupid.”
20/20: Unlucky Numbers airs Friday, April 18, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu the next day.
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