Elderly Detroit man who recently won lottery missing

Dec 29, 2014, 9:56 am (45 comments)

Michigan Lottery

Arthur Neal Jr. last seen morning of Dec. 20 at his home

By Todd Northrop

The Detroit Police Department is asking for the public's help in finding an 86-year-old man who was last seen earlier this month.

Arthur Weldon Neal Jr. was last seen at 8 a.m. Dec. 20 at his home in the 17200 block of Trinity Street, police said.

The granddaughter of the missing 86-year-old fears the worst after her grandfather disappeared nearly 10 days ago — about the same time he won a nearly $20,000 lottery jackpot.

Lawanda Marshall says her grandfather, a physically and mentally strong man who works in masonry, vanished about the time he went to collect the winnings and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

It's "totally unusual" that he would go this length of time without speaking to family members, she says.

"He has very good physical health and mental health," Marshall said, "not your typical old man at all."

Detroit police describe Neal as a black male, about 5-foot-7-inches tall, 160 pounds with a medium complexion, gray hair and a full beard and mustache. He drives a black 1998 Cadillac Deville, with a Michigan plate no. BMZ7786.

He lives alone.

Marshall, describing her grandfather as "awesome" and "joyful," hopes her worst suspicions about his disappearance are proven wrong.

Detroit police ask anyone with information about Neal to contact the department at 313-596-5640.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

Gleno's avatarGleno

Let's pray for his safe return.

Hurray!

honeybuttaz1979's avatarhoneybuttaz1979

I hope he is taking a much needed vacation and maybe call them from a cruise ship. Praying for his safe return.

TnTicketlosers's avatarTnTicketlosers

I just hope he didnt tell no one of his winnings.I hope and pray he is ok.

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

I hope he's Ok.

86 ? looks like 76.

shadowlady's avatarshadowlady

Quote: Originally posted by Gleno on Dec 29, 2014

Let's pray for his safe return.

Hurray!

I hope that he is safe, and has not gone the way of Abraham Shakespeare.

Get paid's avatarGet paid

I hope he,s found safe an sound. Another reason not to let everybody know you came into some big money.

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Quote: Originally posted by Get paid on Dec 29, 2014

I hope he,s found safe an sound. Another reason not to let everybody know you came into some big money.

↑ i agree

SoleWinner21

Quote: Originally posted by haymaker on Dec 29, 2014

I hope he's Ok.

86 ? looks like 76.

76 ? looks 106

cbr$'s avatarcbr$

Sound as if , Mr Neal Jr. jackpot winning could have been said in front of one to many people, greed cause him to be set up. They need to start at the lottery headquarter where he would taken the ticket to receive the check for his winning, then that could a clue or two, did he or somebody else cash in the ticket in. Check at his bank, see if he deposited some of the money at the bank, teller always if somebody is hanging another person who has a lot of cash. I just hope his family find him okay. But I won't hold my breath on this one.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

I really hope he is just laying low and that nothing bad has happened to him. Frown

sully16's avatarsully16

That's where I grew up, I hope he is found.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

BananaHopefully, he just found a new girlfriend and  a free sample packet of the little blue pill and decided to enjoy himself, for a change.Banana

RedStang's avatarRedStang

They should check the Casinos. If he plays the penny machines he could be there for months.

noise-gate

l say " Check Vegas"... They have a saying" What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"..that includes your one on one with the showgirls..

Get home safely Mr Neal, we hoping to read about your adventures.

majestic1070's avatarmajestic1070

People should have the right to remain anonymous if they win the lottery. It's a lot of crazy people out there.

Rman313's avatarRman313

You definately have to watch your back!! If I ever win a big chunk of cash I will bring a few friends along when I collect in the daytime.

SoleWinner21

Quote: Originally posted by Rman313 on Dec 29, 2014

You definately have to watch your back!! If I ever win a big chunk of cash I will bring a few friends along when I collect in the daytime.

Better hire bodyguards instead. You never know how trusting your friends truly are.

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

I wonder why the article isn't clear concerning whether this winner received (via check or electronic transfer into his checking account) the monies yet?

No No

Andis's avatarAndis

I hope and pray that Mr. Neal is ok and that he returns home safely but I'm not very optimistic...

Mrs. Lotto-nc

hope he's found safe. Winning the lottery can be a blessing and a curse. Be careful who you tell

chris-chase

It's Detroit. It's an Old man. It's 20k. 

I'm a betting man.

10-1 says rigor mortis has set in.

Drenick1's avatarDrenick1

They need to do some basic detective work like checking to see if he even deposited or cashed the check. Follow the money trail.

I have a bad feeling on this one.

music*'s avatarmusic*

I Agree!  The Police and the Press hold back some information. Unhappy

Seattlejohn

I hope he's found safe & sound...

Marilyn222's avatarMarilyn222

I just hope that he got so excited with his win and went to Las Vegas and explore more of his chances.

dr65's avatardr65

They'll find him dead or alive. Sometimes people with no good in mind aren't too careful about who is

watching when they do their dirty deeds. If something happened to him over $20k, that's

very sad and shameful. The article said he disappeared on his way to collect his winnings. Cameras

will show if he had anyone with him and records will show who completed the paperwork. I hope if

someone did him in and has the ticket expecting to cash in, that their plans are yanked away from

them just like the elderly man's life was if that's the case.

There could be a good ending to this story. Maybe he just took off for awhile. I hope that's the case.

basil19

I hope he's ok , if that's the case who ever is involved knew he won.

basil19

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Dec 29, 2014

I Agree!  The Police and the Press hold back some information. Unhappy

Too late they should have never said he won the lottery.

basil19

Quote: Originally posted by SoleWinner21 on Dec 29, 2014

Better hire bodyguards instead. You never know how trusting your friends truly are.

LOL u r right. Its take a good judge of character and that's just to  narrow down the possibilities.

VenomV12

Might I suggest they check the local casinos. Would not be surprised if they found him there. 

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Praying for a safe return.

uprrman's avataruprrman

Quote: Originally posted by dallascowboyfan on Dec 31, 2014

Praying for a safe return.

I Agree!I HOPE SO TOO.

cbr$'s avatarcbr$

Mr Neal Jr. has been missing since before Christmas it now New Years Eve. He keep in contact with his family on a some kind of regular base. More elderly want to be with family and friend on major holidays. They want to know who is cooking. If they are not coming send me plate or save me a plate. It time for this family to start call around to all the hospitals in the area see if this gentleman may have been bring in already in a coma with no ID. on him. He could be admitted as a john doe. I pray to God these next steps don't have to happen. Check the County Coroner office to see unclaimed bodies. His license plate number has been all over the new, so people will torch the car it be find in some bad area in alley. As cold as it get in MI. this time of year they could have thrown this person into a abandon building. Then the bodies are find two ways it get warm enough for someone to complain about the smell coming from the build. Or someone go in that building for something else say a homeless person fall over the body. Even if he was at a Casino they check if your car is there to many day if you aren't a guest at the Hotel. If he there , playing 11 days believe me he is on camera. Workers watch the news also.

OldSchoolPa's avatarOldSchoolPa

I bet he is chilling out in a tropical climate watching bikini-clad babes walk by! Yes, getting away from a cold, dreary Detroit is worth whatever it cost.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

Quote: Originally posted by OldSchoolPa on Dec 31, 2014

I bet he is chilling out in a tropical climate watching bikini-clad babes walk by! Yes, getting away from a cold, dreary Detroit is worth whatever it cost.

That's a really nice thought, but I would think he would get in contact with his family to tell them that he is alright so they wouldn't worry. Frown

dr65's avatardr65

You can't go too far on $20,000. I'm sure he would have contacted someone at least to say, don't tell where I am but

I'm 'xxxxx'....and that someone would have to come forward to let everyone know where he said he was because of the

worry among family. You can't keep a secret like that when someone is truly worried about you.

I'm starting to really get set on the idea that something bad did happen to him.

But, maybe they're onto something by now because detectives are smart. They will hunt him down by all means available

to them.

faber98

obviously met with foul play. you don't really think the police are actively looking for him. they are just sitting in their police lounge guffawing about this like they do with all crime victims. they could care less about an 86 year old body turning up in an alley. the policeman is not your friend as you were told as a child. they only care about their detail side money assignments not their assigned shift to protect the public.

1977's avatar1977

Did they  find him yet??

Teddi's avatarTeddi

Quote: Originally posted by 1977 on Jan 4, 2015

Did they  find him yet??

I haven't heard anything yet. I can only pray that this isn't another Abraham Shakespeare scenario.

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Quote: Originally posted by Teddi on Jan 4, 2015

I haven't heard anything yet. I can only pray that this isn't another Abraham Shakespeare scenario.

Roll Eyes

myturn's avatarmyturn

This is exactly why winners should be allowed to remain anonymous. When will US lotteries learn?

 

The UK and Australian lotteries allow winners to remain anonymous for this reason, safety.

Drenick1's avatarDrenick1

it's been almost 3 weeks and no news on this poor guy. With this cold spell in the Detroit area, I highly doubt an 86 year-old man can survive outside. I still think foul play was involved and this lottery winner is no longer living. I hope I am wrong but I have a sick feeling about this.

music*'s avatarmusic*

I Agree!No Pity!

Ron5995

Quote: Originally posted by myturn on Jan 6, 2015

This is exactly why winners should be allowed to remain anonymous. When will US lotteries learn?

 

The UK and Australian lotteries allow winners to remain anonymous for this reason, safety.

U.S. lotteries are learning with more of them shielding winner's identities. Pennsylvania began doing so to some extent about a year ago.

In this instance, I doubt the winner's identity being revealed had anything to do with it, since that info is generally not released until some time after the ticket has been redeemed. Also, $20,000 is a relatively small amount; $15,000 or less after mandatory 25%+ tax withholding, which is pretty standard across U.S. lotteries for larger wins.

My guess is he told friends and/or revealed he had a winner (had the clerk check it; filled out paperwork) at the lottery location he purchased it from. And/or was followed upon cashing the check / withdrawing the funds. It's very possible, assuming there's foul play involved, that the perpetrator may not even know where the funds came from, but simply saw an easy opportunity.

Subscribe to this news story