Florida Lotto Murder Suspect Accused of Communicating With Jurors
Could Be Removed From Court by Judge
The Florida lotto murder trial of Dee Dee Moore continues today, but Moore is at risk of being removed from the courtroom after breaking down during proceedings. The judge has accused her of communicating with jurors by using facial expressions and issued a stern warning.
"Miss Moore, I've cautioned you throughout these proceedings," Judge Emmett Battles said yesterday. "I'm warning you. I think I'm going to make it clear for the last time."
Moore is charged with the first-degree murder of Abraham Shakespeare, a Florida resident who won $30 million in the lottery back in 2009. She allegedly befriended Shakespeare, took his money, and then shot him twice in the chest before burying his body under a slab of concrete.
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Even though the murder took place three years ago, Shakespeare's body was not found until 2010. Moore has maintained her innocence all along and has broken down into tears during testimony throughout her trial.
Prosecutors have alleged that Moore tried to bribe a person with $200,000 for reporting a false sighting of Shakespeare and throwing off authorities. Moore also tried to carry on the farce that Shakespeare was still alive by sending his son $5,000 in cash on his birthday and using his cell phone to send text messages.
Moore told officials that she was only trying to help Shakespeare manage his massive winnings but quickly burnt through them. Her attorneys have argued that all the evidence against their client is circumstantial and ballistic reports on the gun incomplete.
"There are no eyewitnesses that can testify that Ms. Moore shot and killed Mr. Shakespeare or had any part in carrying out his murder," attorney Byron Hileman said. "There is no proof the revolver … is in fact the murder weapon. The ballistics are inconclusive."
Their defense is that Moore was framed by the man who owed Shakespeare money. However, that seems rather odd given that Shakespeare had just come into $30 million. Prosecutors have refuted that claim and state that Moore took "calculated, deliberate steps" to take his money before disposing of the man himself.
"This defendant killed Abraham Shakespeare," prosecutor Jay Pruner said, "and took calculated steps to avoid detection, apprehension and the truth. She had the motive to do so. She killed him with her own gun. She buried him on her property."
