Judd confirms searchers at house are looking for Shakespeare

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd publicly revealed a poorly kept secret this afternoon: investigators at a property near Plant City are searching for the body of Florida Lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare.

"At this time Hillsborough Sheriff's detectives are removing concrete," Judd said. "There's a concrete slab, and we'll be searching under that slab to see if, in fact, a person is there."

Investigators hope the search can finally puts an end to the missing person case.

"I would much rather find Abraham Shakespeare alive and well on his favorite Caribbean island sipping his favorite drink," Judd said. "Unfortunately, our investigation leads us to believe he may have met a sinister death by sinister means."

Shakespeare, who won about $30 million in lottery jackpot in 2007, was last seen in April, though he wasn't reported missing until November. No suspects have been named, but investigators are looking into Dorice Donegan "DeeDee" Moore's dealings with Shakespeare.The property being searched is owned by Moore's boyfriend, Shar Krasniqi. It houses a law office rented by lawyer D. Howard Stitzel.

"I am just a tenant there," Stitzel said today. "I can't answer any questions."

Crime scene investigators spent the day at the office, at 5802 State Road 60 between Plant City and Brandon. Members of the University of South Florida's anthropology unit are now assisting in the case.
Hillsborough sheriff's Col. Albert Frost said Tuesday that investigators will probably work at the property for several days.

Lawyer Glen R. Lansky, whose Brandon-based firm Lansky and Courtney represents Stitzel, said today that Stitzel rents the house from Moore and hasn't had any dealings directly with Krasniqi. Lansky said his client last saw Shakespeare in late 2008 or early 2009.

Stitzel cooperated with law enforcement Tuesday, providing information about his knowledge of Shakespeare and Moore, Lansky said.

"He tangentially knew these people and had nothing to do with the current investigation in terms of the disappearance," Lansky said.

Polk investigators say Moore, a business associate of Shakespeare, moved about $1.8 million in Shakespeare's cash and assets to her account or other accounts. Moore is no longer cooperating with investigators, Judd said.

Deputies said Moore used Shakespeare's cell phone to send text messages to his family and friends after he was last seen to make it appear he was alive, and that she also paid one of his cousins $5,000 to hand-deliver a birthday card with cash to Shakespeare's mother.

Moore also offered to turn over a house worth $200,000 to someone if that person would make a false statement to law enforcement that they saw Shakespeare alive, investigators have said.