Post by Scumhunter on Feb 28, 2016 11:14:03 GMT -5
He was only 19 years old when he won nearly $500,000 in the lottery — but it’s possible those winnings may have put a red target on Craigory Burch Jr.’s back. Now his family is begging for someone to come forward with answers.
According to WALB, on Thursday night, three masked men blew open Burch’s door and scattered through his home. Jasmine Hendricks, Burch’s girlfriend, was inside at the time. She told WALB news, “When they came in, he said, ‘Don’t do it bro. Don’t do it in front of my kids. Please don’t do it in front of my kids and my old lady.’”
Hendricks also that, said when begging the gunmen not to open fire, Burch offered the perps his bank card. In the midst of the chaos of the robbery, Burch reportedly even threw his pants at them, hoping they would find his wallet — but they didn’t. Instead police say the intruders shot Burch before fleeing. He was later pronounced dead.
According to reports, Burch won nearly half a million dollars on a Fantasy 5 jackpot in November. Friends who spoke out to the news station say Burch recently spent some of his winnings to help those in need at Christmas with gifts.
Leslie Collins, Burch’s mother, spoke out about her extreme heartbreak, saying, “I want them to know what they took from me. They took a part of my life away from me. My child that I carried and raised for 20 years.”
On Sunday, the Fitzgerald community came together to honor Burch during a candlelight vigil.
The case at this point is still unsolved, and no suspects have been named. If you know anything at all, please contact the Ben Hill County Sheriff’s 229.426.5161.
crimefeed.com/2016/01/20-year-old-lottery-winner-shot-killed-front-family-masked-men/
Thoughts? This has become a high-profile case, even catching national attention. That above ID crime feed story was written by former AMW and current Crime Watch Daily correspondent Michelle Sigona. Obviously, it seems that whoever robbed Craigory likely knew he won half a million dollars, and this is why I think there should be a national law that allows you to claim your winnings privately. The state of Georgia I believe, you have to come forward and say who you are if you win. I understand that if you allow people to be anonymous when they claim winnings, then it means the states can no longer promote and advertise (not to mention add to conspiracy theories if you can't see someone who physically won), but people are still going to play the lottery anyway. It's time to stop putting public safety at risk.
P.S. According to what I've read, the following states allow you to remain anonymous if you win: Kansas, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan, North Dakota and Ohio. If you aren't in one of those states, try to see if you can claim via trust or an attorney.
P.P.S Craigory seemed like a good person who donated part of his money to charity. So let's not forget that the main theme of this story should be getting justice for him.
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