GEORGIA (WALB) – Authorities in Georgia are searching for several suspects who shot and killed a man during a home invasion, and friends and family of the victim say he was targeted because he recently won the lottery.
Craigory Burch Jr. had recently won $400,000 in a lottery, and now authorities are investigating his murder in Ben Hill County.
His girlfriend, Jasmine Hendricks, said their door was blown open by a shotgun blast and three masked, armed men entered.
“When they came in, he said, ‘Don’t do it bro. Don’t do it in front of my kids.’ He said, ‘Please don’t do it in front of my kids and my old lady. Please don’t do that bro. Please don’t.’ He said, ‘I’ll give you my bank card.’”
Hendricks said Burch threw his pants to the robbers at that time. She said she is certain the suspects were motivated by Burch’s recent winnings.
She’s sure they were after some of the 400-thousand dollars he had won.
“Ever since he hit the lottery we kept getting calls, text messages, all that, saying, ‘be careful because people are out for him to rob him,'” she said.
Hendricks says the men shot Burch shortly after realizing his wallet wasn’t in those pants, killing him instantly.
“They took my man from me,” she said. “They took my son’s daddy from him. Both of my sons.”
Burch’s mother, Leslie Collins, said she is desperate for answers.
“I couldn’t live with myself if I don’t know what happened to my child,” she said.
Hendricks and Burch’s mother are begging for justice.
“I ain’t worried about nothing about the house,” Hendricks said. “No nothing. I want to know who killed him. That’s what I’m worried about.”
Collins said: “I love CJ. I just want somebody to know, whoever has any information. Please, please contact the police department. I just beg you, please. He didn’t deserve to be gunned down like this in his own home.”
Friends say Burch recently used some of his lottery winnings to buy Christmas gifts for people in need.
