Winner was unable to cash ticket before he died
By Kate Northrop
CASEVILLE, Mich. — A Michigan man who was found dead on a private beach never got the chance to cash his winning ticket worth $45,000.
Gregory Jarvis, 57, of Caseville, Michigan was discovered dead Friday morning along the Saginaw Bay in Caseville with a winning lottery ticket still safely tucked away in his wallet.
Jarvis was a frequent customer at the Blue Water Inn in Caseville. The owner of the establishment, Dawn Talaski, described him as a "very nice guy" and that he showed up "everyday."
On Sept. 13, he visited the Blue Water Inn and hit the jackpot in the Club Keno's add-on game "The Jack."
"$45,000. Somebody said someone just won 'The Jack,' and he said, 'great,' and someone asked him, 'was it you?' And it was, so he was super excited," Talaski told WJRT.
However, Jarvis was unable to cash the winning ticket because he needed a new social security card and had to wait for one to arrive in the mail.
"He couldn't cash it because he didn't have a social security card at all," Talaski explained. "It wasn't any good, so he applied for a new one."
A week after the big win, Jarvis was back at the Blue Water Inn buying rounds of drinks, but he still had not yet cashed the winning ticket. When he walked out that night on Sept. 19, it was thought to be the last time anyone would ever see him again.
Talaski knew something did not feel right when one of her most loyal customers did not show up to the bar the next day.
"Sometimes he's up north working," Talaski said in an interview. "He wasn't here all week. And we thought, something is wrong."
She recalled that Jarvis' boss came looking for him the following Wednesday when he did not show up for work. On Friday, the worst was confirmed when a resident was walking along a private beach and discovered a body washed ashore near a boat.
It was Jarvis, and the boat was his.
The resident phoned in the incident to local police, and an autopsy confirmed that he drowned and suffered head injuries.
"We are thinking that he was tying up his boat, slipped and fell, hit his head, and that's where he ended up in the water, no foul play suspected," Caseville Police Chief Kyle Romzek said.
However, police wanted to investigate further when they found a lottery ticket worth $45,000 in his wallet. They asked around and questioned locals to see if there was an alternative motive behind the death.
"At first, we were concerned about it, but after the autopsy, and we interviewed people at the bar — he as well-liked around here," Romzek determined. "He was a nice guy. That took it off the table."
The head injuries that Jarvis maintained were reportedly consistent with hitting his head on the boat before he drowned.
Talaski said that Jarvis had made plans for spending the money.
"He was planning to take that money and go see his sister and dad in North Carolina," she said.
According to the Michigan Lottery, winners of prizes valued at $600 or more must provide photo identification and their social security card to claim their winnings.
Jarvis' relatives, who currently have the ticket in their possession, will be able to collect the winnings.
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Aw, that's sad. He ended up winning the lottery and he didn't even get to enjoy his winnings.
So, sad!
I read this earlier today, before they posted this one with his picture!
Prayers to his family and friends.
I was gonna criticize him for being one of those idiots that was careless about bragging about his winnings and letting the whole world know, but this just sounds like a simple boating accident. At least that's what it looks like on the surface. Sad way to go since he never got to enjoy his winnings. RIP.
So sad, my condolences to his friends and family.
That's very sad. I find it odd that MI requires a SS card and a photo ID to collect winnings, because the state requires proof of your SSN to issue a driver's license or non-driver's photo ID. Bureaucracy never sleeps, I guess. If he'd been able to cash it in instead of waiting for a replacement SS card, he might've been with his family in NC and the accident wouldn't have happened.
MATTHEW 5:4...
My most sincerest condolences, i can't believe this, how sad is that. so so sad.
I'm not one to cry over alot of things, in the news, per state, but this one made me tear and shed a tear or two earlier when i am first learning.
a friend of mine in Michigan,was saying how a middle age man, still with so much GOOD life to live, after he won the lottery "drowned."
He was yea going wit' dad and or some other fam members from here in NC, to cash the big $$$ lottery ticket,
and i am so sad to hear he hit his head,and drowned.
I am so sad for him, RIP sir, you're at peace, but i am so sad for how his life ended. So sad.
RIP.
You're never knowing when it's "our time." RIP. I pray for his loved ones. Have to enjoy every day and night, best way we can, and be "safe, driving/boating/anywhere/everywhere we go. So incredibly sad. rip.
Wow, sadist lottery story I ever read!
i hear ya. yep. I know WHY our Social Security I.D.(number) is needed, but, how i wish there was another way, if you do not have it whereas;
-you can have other forms of legitimate I.D., or you're able to just "sign a waiver, some type of a declaration"
that'll still allow you,
to get the check. But, too late for this nice man.
I TRULY feel, felt so incredibly hearing about this earlier, than i am seeing L.Post did post it, too... Rest in Peace. Not right."
Continue to rest in heaven, at peace sir... So sad.
Rip.
it seen kind of odd that his lottery ticket was in his wallet and didn't get wet and he drown.
Real bummer, finally get a good hitter and then croak.
I don't think it is odd that MI requires SS and photo ID to collect winning because most states do that. The woman in the story says the guy had a SS card but, it was bad so he was applying for a new one. His SS card was "good" enough at one time for him to get a photo ID. He probably had to get a new SS card because his name was not spelled exactly the same on his ID as it was on his SS card. A lot of people don't know this until they go to the lottery headquarters, to try and cash in their ticket. This is why the the lottery board in each state advises ALL lottery winners with winning over $600 to read the rules on, how to cash in a ticket before going to headquarters.
"he didn't even get to enjoy his winnings"
I promise he doesn't mind.
"this just sounds like a simple boating accident."
Unlike people mentioned in the story I'm not a professional detective, but if he was killed for the winning ticket I'm pretty sure his killer forgot an important part of the crime. And not that I'd generally recommend telling everybody you won the lottery, but it would be useful f somebody were to try to cash your ticket after you turned up dead.
"I find it odd that MI requires a SS card and a photo ID to collect winnings, because the state requires proof of your SSN to issue a driver's license or non-driver's photo ID."
I'd find it really odd that a state would put your social security number, along with your name and mailing address, on something you may have to show to a random stranger to comply with state laws about buying alcohol or tobacco. For the most part I also don't think that one agency should be able to give my SSN to another agency. And as a practical matter the easiest way for the lottery to get your SSN is to require your SS card.
"it seen kind of odd that his lottery ticket was in his wallet and didn't get wet and he drown."
I don't know if it's the reason you think it was dry, but "safely tucked away in his wallet" doesn't mean it wasn't wet.
This is so sad... Reminds me of the Ironic Song by Alanis Morissette... "He won The Lottery, died the next day!" O.O...