These Lottery Horror Stories Will Give You Nightmares

Hey, millionaire! Who doesn't aspire to win the lottery? Unfortunately, winning a big fortune doesn't guarantee happiness, especially if we're surrounded by the wrong people. But for some winners, this sudden life change brought them something worse than unhappiness. Their new fortunes led them down a path of tragedy and even death. Here are the most chilling stories of lottery winners who were murdered for their winnings by strangers, or even those closest to them. When you win the lottery, you aspire to have a happy life, away from everyday problems. However, stories abound of lottery winners who were murdered by their loved ones. Money can be a source of jealousy and conflict, and if you don't watch your back or choose your friends wisely, you can be sleeping next to your future murderer. But winning the lottery can also mean appearing in the media and becoming famous, and we all know what happens to millionaires when they come out of anonymity. If you ever become a lottery winner, you need to avoid exposing your identity. Your life and the lives of your loved ones could depend on it. Viewer discretion is advised. Most people will find these stories distressing. If you think you can handle them, let's dive in. 5. Maria Lou Deverell In 1999, Maria Deverell won the Australian lottery, taking home a staggering 5 million Australian dollars. Together with her husband David, Deverell enlisted the services of an accountant and financial advisor named Pedro Kelly to help her manage her money. After all, not many people know what to do with that kind of fortune, and Kelly looked like the perfect person to help had he'd proven to be a trusted family friend. Little did she know that this man would eventually become the perpetrator of her brutal murder. On March 28, 2011, Deverell had a heated argument with Kelly over money-related issues. Kelly suddenly began a brutal attack on Deverell at her Tamworth home, striking her several times in the back of the head with a rubber mallet. Dissatisfied with this, Kelly then strangled her with his bare hands until her body went limp. He left her at the scene of the crime, where Deverell's body was eventually found by her daughter. The murder of Maria Deverell resulted in a lengthy trial, in which Kelly revealed the true motive for the dark murder. He claimed he was angry with Deverell's wasted spending habits. His frustrations led to a confrontation in which Deverell drove him out of control, so he decided to take revenge. He was sentenced to nearly two decades in prison. 4. Jeffrey Dampier Before becoming a successful lottery winner, Jeffrey Dampier from Chicago was just like anyone else. He worked as a secretary guard and didn't stand out very much. But in 1996, everything changed for him after he won the Illinois lottery jackpot valued at $20 million. Shortly after winning the prize, Jeffrey divorced his wife, which kicked off his run of bad luck. She took half his wealth, but that still left Jeffrey with a fortune that should have been more than enough to live a trouble-free life. But when you surround yourself with the wrong people, money can go from making your life easier to ending it altogether. Meeting Crystal Jackson was the first nail in Jeffrey's coffin, even though she wouldn't be his murderer. Jeffrey used his newfound wealth to lavish his new wife and family with expensive gifts and vacations before moving to Florida to start a new life. However, behind that mask of kindness and innocence, he was sleeping with his sister-in-law, Victoria Jackson. And Jeffrey wasn't the only one sneaking around. Victoria and her real partner, Nathaniel, were plotting Jeffrey's murder behind his back. Nathaniel and Victoria now had a sinister plan to get their hands on Jeffrey's money. On July 26, 2025, Victoria called Jeffrey to ask for help with a car problem. The scene Jeffrey arrived at was very different from what he was expecting. He was greeted by a shotgun-wielding Nathaniel, who forced him into his truck. Then Jeffrey was tied up and taken to an unknown location, where Nathaniel demanded that he give up his money if he wanted to keep his life. But there was no way Jeffrey would give up his rightful fortune. After giving the gun to Victoria, Nathaniel threatened to shoot her if she didn't kill Jeffrey. Victoria wasn't about to risk her own life, so she executed Jeffrey with a shot to the back of the head. In 2006, a year after the tragedy, Nathaniel and Victoria were convicted and sentenced to serve three consecutive life sentences. They are still rotting in prison. 3. Arooj Khan It takes a lot of luck to win the lottery, but much bad luck to lose your life the day after becoming a millionaire. Arooj Khan was an Indian immigrant who owned a dry cleaning shop in Chicago. In June 2012, Arooj won more than $1 million thanks to an Illinois lottery ticket, but he never got to see the money. A day after becoming a lottery winner, Arooj turned up dead. Before he died, Arooj tried to call his brother, Imtiaz, on the phone. Unfortunately, his voice announced that he had just suffered a heart attack. Imtiaz rushed to save his brother's life, but instead, he found his dead body. According to the specialists, he died from natural causes, but Imtiaz just knew that wasn't right, and he was determined to discover the truth. After numerous tests and a more complex blood sample, he discovered the true cause of his brother's death. He had been poisoned with a lethal dose of cyanide. To this day, the culprit has not been found, but everything seems to indicate that his wife may have had something to do with it. While Arooj's family fights tooth and nail to keep the late lottery winner's fortune, his body lies in the ground in a case that is yet to be solved. But even this terrible story is not as horrifying as the ones I'm about to tell you, so keep watching! 2. Basil Thorne In 1960, Graham Thorne, an eight-year-old boy from Sydney, Australia, became the victim of one of the most terrifying crimes in history. Graham's father, Basil Thorne, had just won a jackpot of £100,000, the equivalent of three million Australian dollars today. Following his big win, local newspapers spread Basil's story of victory around the country. Of course, this attracted the attention of fans, but unfortunately, more perverse people were also captivated by Basil's story, including his son's killer, Stephen Bradley. Bradley had come up with the perfect plan to get his hands on Basil's money, by kidnapping Basil's son. He grabbed little Graham while he was on his way to school one morning, and that was the last time anyone saw him alive. Once the conditions of his plan were met, Bradley demanded a huge ransom for the family in exchange for their eight-year-old boy. Unfortunately, not even the authorities' best efforts in one of Australia's most important search missions were enough to prevent misfortune. Graham was found lifeless in an abandoned lot not far from his home. Graham Thorne's tragic death marked a before and after for Australia. It was the end of innocence and the beginning of terror, and no parent wanted to leave their children alone for a single moment. The era of planning freely in the streets was over, giving way to a new age of mistrust. The murder also led to Australian laws being changed, giving all lottery winners the right to remain anonymous. But this seems a small victory compared to what has really been lost, because nothing will bring young Graham back. And finally, we've reached the story of... Number 1. Gregory Birch Jr. In November 2015, Gregory Birch Jr. went from being a forklift operator from Fitzgerald, Georgia, to becoming the winner of an incredible $432,000 fortune. Two months later, he was murdered in his own home, right in front of his children and girlfriend. It's a truly chilling tale. A group of armed, mass men broke into Birch's property with a plan to take the family's money. But the cash wasn't the only thing they claimed on that day of the tragedy. The criminals viciously executed Birch with multiple gunshots to different parts of his body, giving him no chance to defend himself. The police went to work on the case to find the culprits, eventually apprehending seven suspects. One of them was Nathaniel Baker, who interestingly shares a name as another perpetrator featured in this video. In January 2017, Baker was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with Wyan Malik Jordan, who was sentenced to two life sentences plus 15 years. As for the seven suspects, all were arrested and prosecuted for their crimes, but no conviction can heal the wounds carried by Birch's loved ones, who were forced to witness his murder.