"Don't do it in front of my kids"
FITZGERALD, Ga. — A Fitzgerald, Georgia, man who recently won a nearly half-million dollar Georgia lottery jackpot was murdered overnight Thursday during a home invasion robbery.
20-year-old Craigory Burch, Jr died from gunshot wounds at a home on Stubbs Avenue.
Burch won a $434,272 Fantasy 5 jackpot in November 2015.
GBI agents spent the overnight hours collecting evidence from the home.
Officials say Jasmine Hendricks, Burch's girlfriend, was in the home at the time and ran for help.
Three masked robbers blasted open the door with a shotgun and held Burch at gunpoint, demanding his money and wallet, she said.
"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 old lady,'" she told the local station. "He said I'll give you my bank card."
Burch then threw his pants to the robbers, who rummaged through the clothes to find his wallet. When the search came up short, the three shot and killed him before fleeing.
Right now there is no word on any suspects.
Burch, a forklift driver, bought his winning ticket on Nov. 29 from a gas station and won the $434,272 jackpot prize.
"My right eye and hand had jumped for the past two weeks," Burch explained in December, saying he had a feeling this was a lucky ticket.
"I knew that I would come into money."
His friends said he used his winnings to help buy Christmas presents for people in need. His mother, Leslie Collins, gave a tearful message to the thieves behind the slaying on Thursday:
"I want them to know what they took from me. They took a part of my life away from me."
If you have any information about the murder contact the Ben Hill County Sheriff's Office at 229-426-5161.
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I'll bet he knew his attackers.
He either bragged at work, the others were jealous.
Or a drug deal went bad.
Lottery winners must prepare themselves for major changes in how they live and donate and more. Donations must be made anonymously so that the poor do not know who to beg from. Keep it all at arms length.
Back in the late 1990's Lottery winner, Billy Bob Harrell of Texas openly donated turkey dinners to the poor and he could not say "NO" to anyone. He killed himself soon after.
Americans in general, are too generous. Generous to a fault.
This is very sad, he was so young.
It's sad but I have to agree. I'll bet his attackers were either people he knew or set up to kill him by someone he was close to. This is why when I win, I'm going to stay 100% anonymous. If I donate to charity, it will be anonymous. If I have to do a press conference it will be in a clown suit complete with a wig and face mask while I alter my voice. Then 24/7 security at my new home in a different state, and I'm not telling a soul that I won the lottery. If people ask I'll say I'm just independently wealthy and keep it at that. And most importantly no hand outs to family or friends, unless it's coming from a trust.
This is totally tragic. I really hope the ga legislature passes a law that allows for anonymous claims. There is a bill out there now but the state wants to withhold 25% of the winnings for that privledge. And that is not the way to go either.
Absolutely terrible
Yes. Very, very good advice about donating quietly. And absolutely winners need to protect themselves and keep quiet about it. The less people that know the better.
25% FOR THE PRIVLEDGE? By ALLOWING you to claim anonymously? This is insane, here we go again, the politicians get their greedy hands on $$$$.
Love the internet detectives!! What a hoot!
A life was lost....so sad.
see, that's why they should let all winners remain anonymous.
What a shame.....
Ridiculous
RIP, Hope the bad guys get caught.
My condolesenses to the Burch Family. Which raises an important question : Do you have to show your face when picking up your cheque or forced to give press conference? I am sticking with my Nixon mask, come hell or high water.
For the Love of money is the root of all evil, says the bible. People will do any and everything for money. And its ashame this young man had to lose his life for his money. I pray the cowards get caught and is giving the death penalty.
These are dangerous times; there are few who can be trusted, so be on your guard.
He didn't get a chance to enjoy his win. Probably a jealous person did this. Hopefully the murderer will be caught and jailed for life.
People in my state have their pictures taken holding huge $700 checks and I've often thought it's those winners and winners under $5000 would be robbed. It's because they are paid cash and the average thief is smart enough to know most people don't have almost 1/2 million in cash in their homes.
There is no holding a huge check photo requirement in KY especially winnings under $25,000 and the players getting their picture taken after hitting a pick-3 are doing it by choice.
Claiming anonymously is fine, and if a person can, I'm all for it.
However, I think in this case he wasn't robbed and killed because he couldn't claim anonymously. He was donating and probably making it known he had money. If so, it wouldn't have mattered how he claimed his money.
But.....I could be wrong. I think time will tell.
The rules typically say they can use your likeness to promote the lottery. You can show up in a Nixon mask, but don't expect to be wearing it for the press conference.
There's nowhere near enough information to be sure what's likely, but looking at the picture (that uses his likeness for promotional purposes) I'm inclined to think it wasn't strangers who found any of the minimal publicity that normally goes with winning a relatively modest sum.
Out here in CA there is no requirement to appear before a full court press either Stack. I mentioned that part seeing that the late Mr Burch was shown with a cheque in hand.A few years ago we had an Asian lottery winner from across the Bay who refused an interview, all he wanted was to collect his cheque and be left alone. He also took the Annuity deal. Won something like $200-300 mil and l * think was in his late 20 ' s or early 30's. Btw before l run into an English Professor l am correcting the word into " Condolences"..so there, l said it!
His age and probable elation and disbelief over winning a large sum of money most
likely played a big part in who knew. 20 years old? There are things you trust in that you
shouldn't and friends thrown in the mix of the same age do not help matters. Even if he
chose to remain anonymous, at the least, his girlfriend knew.
It's awesome to read he shared by giving gifts at Christmas and had he been alive longer,
he probably would have continued sharing. Such a shame to die by the hands of another
just 2 months after winning.
Very sad. I hope they catch the killer(s).
Withhold 25% to remain anonymous so that you and your family aren't put in harms way?!! That's extortion in my book! Greedy, greedy sons of...!
I highly doubt he was killed over any donations bringing him attention. Most likely being young and hanging with the wrong people was enough. Guessing he like most young guys his age with a ton of cash in their pockets probably bought a lot of expensive clothes, maybe a flashy car, probably started buying up the bar and club and going to the strip club with thousands of dollars in cash and someone probably decided to rob him. He wasn't the first and won't be the last. I wouldn't be surprised if it was someone he knew and trusted either.
Where does it say he was killed for his money? It doesn't.
The part that says home invasion. This man Was robbed and then killed. It is tragic.
I was saddened to hear of Mr. Burch's home attack, pain, and death.
If his girlfriend wasn't involved, I feel sorry for her now probable chronic nightmares, anxieties, and low vibration feelings!
Wow, I hope that these home invaders and murder(s) are caught and stopped quickly.
Just under 2 years ago Floyd, a lottery winner from this neck of the woods took his press conference pic holding up his cheque from his neck up. My point being- what would be the difference showing up in a Nixon mask given the off chance that some zealous photographer decides to take a pic of you without your permission? Wanna check it out: look under Buxton/ lottery winner. 2014..
Bad people don't break into homes to steal candy or people's socks.
Bad deeds or actions perhaps. But like fairies there is really no such thing as a "bad" person. Ill of mind, poor in social skills, lack of empathy, none of which can inclusively label a human bad.
A parent has lost their son... that is a burden no one can label. May justice be swift for the life lost so senselessly.
If I recall correctly a man in Michigan claimed a jackpot and while he couldn't hide his name, he took the photo with the big check over his face and that is the photo that they published and obviously there wasn't a d@mn thing they could do about it. Pretty genius in my opinion.
I have updated the story with some more details. It's heartbreaking.
What exactly are you basing this on? How he looks in the photo? How about this? He just won a lot of money, had to go public, people who knew who he was were jealous and wanted a piece of the pie. So, they killed him for the money. THAT makes much more sense based on what we know. Saying it could've been a drug deal gone bad is just speculation and it makes you look prejudice.
there is a lot of talk about claiming anonymously. does that mean the lottery commission doesn't get to know who you are? I also think that is absurd. sure in a fair world , the gov has no need to know. but to ensure or at least to try and protect against corruption,. there has to be some checks and balances.
im for how it works here, as usual, the gov knows you and the tax office knows you, and the lottery commission gets to investigate you. and you still remain unknown to the public.
RIP young man. The world feels like a sadder place and I never even met him.
I hope the thugs are caught and get what is coming to them!
Lord Have Mercy!.
prejudice... "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience"
Not that any of that goes on around here
Wow, that's a sad story.
I have encountered far more white people, rich white people, who either use and deal in drugs than Black people. I know you would not have written the same had the victim been a young Caucasian guy because that would be contrary to your perception of such people.
I didn't read the added details until now...that's a crying shame.
Forget the fact that he's black....he was a father, had a girlfriend, was someone's son and maybe brother too.
We don't know him but they will miss him. He's nothing to us except another lottery story gone bad.
The police need to catch the cowards that killed this guy.
I don't think your average thug thinks of others at Christmas time. I'm sure he had a good heart.
I wrote that I think he knew his attackers, probably from him talking and donating gifts, giving away information that he came into money, OR, a drug deal gone bad. I reread my post, and I am certain I didn't mention black, or white. I too know white people that do drugs, and blacks also. I also know white people that would have nothing to do with drugs, and I know black people that would have nothing to do with drugs.
As far as you knowing me, well, fact is you don't know me.