Dorice “Dee Dee” Donegan Moore was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact regarding a first degree murder in the death of missing lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare. At this point, no one has been charged with Shakespeare’s murder, but investigators are combing through evidence and moving forward in this case.  Investigators acted quickly on a lead that Abraham’s body could be buried on the adjacent property to the home where Moore lived, and last night Hillsborough County Sherriff David Gee held a press conference and read from the probable cause affidavit. 

This is a summary of the notes provided at the press conference: A little after 5 p.m. this evening Hillsborough County Sherriff David Gee says detectives arrested Dorice Donegan Moore in Eastern Hillsborough County as she was driving her truck on State Road 39, and taken to jail.  The probable cause affidavit, between April 6-7, 2009 at an unknown hour Abraham Shakespeare was murdered.  Sheriff Gee says Moore arranged for a undisclosed witness to use a backhoe to dig a hole and bury construction debris at her residence, and later had him come back to fill in the hole.  The witness identified the area where Shakespeare was found as the place he was asked to dig a hole.  Sheriff Gee says Moore wrote a letter to the victim’s mother in December 2009 claiming to be Abraham and to be alright, she also used Abraham’s cell phone to send messages to friends and family claiming she was him and claiming to be okay.  On December 27, 2009 Moore had an undisclosed witness make a phone call to Shakespeare’s mother claiming to be okay.  Moore later admitted to detectives that she took steps to ensure the victim was still alive.  Between December 28, 2009 – January 21, 2010, Moore approached an undisclosed witness, and asked if he knew of anyone that he know was awaiting sentencing to prison and would be willing to admit to the killing of Abraham Shakespeare in exchange for $50,000.00.  She then told the witness and he and another person would have to dig up the body and move it to another location.  On January 25, 2010, Moore met with a witness and gave him a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver and told him it was the weapon that killed Abraham Shakespeare.  Sheriff Gee says Moore the same day took the witness and showed him the concrete slab where Abraham was buried, she then placed a steel bar on the slab, and it was agreed the body would be removed from the grave at 8 p.m.  She then told the witness she would leave a truck to transport the body, she then gave the keys to the witness.  Moore then showed the witness the contents in the trailer she had purchased to include a troth, bleach, gloves, and plastic sheeting.  Moore than admitted to detectives she purchased bags of lime to cover over top of the body when it was buried.  On January 28, 2010, Abraham Shakespeare’s body was located and he was positively identified through fingerprints.  The medical examiner’s office determined the death to be homicidal violence.  This case involved not only the murder of Abraham Shakespeare, but also the fraud involving what happened to his fortune, and that is a complex part of the investigation that they will get to.  Investigators feel he was murdered inside the house, a single story ranch house.

Remembering Abraham Shakespeare

Sherriff Gee says, “We will seek justice for him and we will find out all the players whether they were involved directly in the murder, or the theft of his lottery winnings, we will get to all those things.”

BACKGROUND: Abraham was a truck driver’s assistant who hit the $30 million jackpot in the Florida lottery in 2006.  He spend modestly, and only purchased a Nissan Altima, a $1 million home in a gated community, and a used Rolex from a pawn shop.  He often lent money to friends and strangers, but ultimately he just wanted to be happy.  Shakespeare would tell people he was on a budget, and wanted to help the poor.  Sadly, Shakespeare wasn’t seen since April 2009.  His mother told investigators she spoke to him last in February 2009, but he wasn’t reported missing until November 2009.  I spoke with Investigator Wood from the Polk County Sheriff’s office, and she confirms they have named Dorice Donegan “DeeDee” Moore of Florida a person of interest in this case.  According to police, Moore is believed to have offered to give away a home work approximately $200,000 in exchange for making a false report to law enforcement regarding an alleged recent sighting of Shakespeare.

Moore is a woman who claims she helped Shakespeare disappear so he could get away from money hungry people, and investigators also say she paid one of Shakespeare’s relatives $5,000.00 to hand deliver a birthday card with cash to Shakespeare’s mom.  This was an effort to make his mother think the card was from him.  Moore now lives in the house Shakespeare once owned.  If you have any additional information, please contact Crimestoppers: 

(800) 226-TIPS