Case 248: Abraham Shakespeare
Added 2023-05-20 08:07:22 +0000 UTCWhen 41-year-old Abraham Shakespeare won the 30 million dollar Florida Lottery prize, his underprivileged life changed overnight. Yet, he quickly realised his newfound wealth was a curse. Despite showing limitless charity, he became demoralised by the pressure and expectations thrust upon him by those seeking his money. Then in April 2009, Abraham vanished. Had he voluntarily left to escape the stress, or had something more sinister occurred?
Team:
Anonymous Host - narration
Milly Raso - research, writing, creative direction
Mike Migas - production, music
Andrew D.B. Joslyn - music
Comments
Amazing work on this tragic story. People go so far to not take responsibility or too hide the truth vileness within them. What a horrible horrible person. My heart hurts for Abraham and his family and his children. Am I the only one that noticed a difference in the intro?
B-randy D
2023-05-29 19:36:19 +0000 UTC“For the love of money is the root of all evil” Rest in peace, Abraham.
Melissa Vizza
2023-05-22 16:45:30 +0000 UTCThe horrifying thing is how common this story is for lottery winners. I heard a news report when the last lottery went over USD 2B that the majority of lottery winners are worse off than they were when they won the lottery. I'm really impressed that from the get-go, all Abraham thought about was helping his mom and his community. I wish he'd had a happier ending.
Demi
2023-05-22 13:50:38 +0000 UTCGreat coverage, Casefile team. How isolated Abraham must have been, knowing he couldn't really count on anyone and that possibly that those who he least suspected would speed along his end. Heartbreaking, he deserved better. I thought it sounded familiar but never heard it like this.
Alan
2023-05-22 01:27:07 +0000 UTCYou guys always do an awesome job, but this episode was particularly well-researched and written. Such a sad story, but told with great detail and care.
Brent Amelingmeier
2023-05-22 00:36:51 +0000 UTCThis was incredibly heartbreaking. 😢
Mandy G
2023-05-22 00:06:41 +0000 UTCAlso MOVE. I get that people didn't want to leave family but with that much money you could always make visits even pretty frequently especially once your fame dies down but living in the exact place where people know your address and regular location spots while knowing you won a lottery. Not saying you won't be recognized elsewhere but it would have likely lowered his encounters and pestering if he was diligent enough about it. This is all in hindsight of course and most people wouldn't know before cautionary tales like this happen.
Veya
2023-05-21 23:02:56 +0000 UTCYeah like others said, great episode. Also a reassuring case of the police doing their best
N Stevens
2023-05-21 22:20:47 +0000 UTCNo we haven’t
Casefile True Crime
2023-05-21 06:38:28 +0000 UTCHaven't they already covered this one?
Amber Thomas
2023-05-21 02:05:44 +0000 UTCAs usual, the depth that Casefile goes into investigating a subject is deep. I've heard others cover this sad story, but this tells all the little details. Thank you!!
Danette
2023-05-20 21:47:34 +0000 UTCOmg I was so jolted by the new, different recording of the intro! It's incredible how accustomed you get to certain sounds and apparently Casey's intro delivery is one of them.
AR
2023-05-20 14:59:11 +0000 UTCi usually skip this case when podcasts cover it because i find it so incredibly sad, but coincidentally They Walk Among America covered it very recently, and I decided to listen and realized there were a lot of interesting facts and details I hadn't known before. So instead of skipping I'm excited to hear Casefile's take. Thank you as always!
AR
2023-05-20 14:56:49 +0000 UTCReally well-written. I kind of thought that’s where it was heading, but I wasn’t sure. I don’t remember this case at all. If I ever win the lottery, three stops before I redeem the ticket—lawyer, financial advisor, and costume shop. One of those inflatable T-Rex costumes should do nicely for the press conference.
Brenda Wells
2023-05-20 13:16:12 +0000 UTC
