# Putnam Co., WV: $314 million lottery winner's granddaughter found dead **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 21, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938 "2004-12-21T05:13:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/1 "2004-12-21T05:13:58Z")
Not mundane and pointless but I didn’t know where else to put this … We’ve had some fun at [Jack Whittaker’s](http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/106924p-96621c.html) expense here on the boards, but [this](http://www.wowktv.com/news/index.cfm?newsItemID=1649) is truly awful. If this was a murder, I hope they find the SOB who did it and nail 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/2 "2004-12-21T13:41:10Z")
His [wife](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6712081/) said a week earlier that winning the lottery has been nothing but trouble and she wishes they had never won. And the guy was a millionaire before he won anyway so its not like they needed the money. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/3 "2004-12-21T14:34:03Z")
There’s an interesting article in GQ this month about him. It outlines all the times he’s been robbed because he leaves thousands of dollars in his car and blabs his mouth to everyone about how he carries so much cash around. The police are getting really tired of having to deal with such an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/4 "2004-12-21T15:37:29Z")
Is there a book or an insightful web site about how lottery winners in general do after their big wins? If not, it is a book that needs to be written. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/5 "2004-12-21T16:02:39Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Is there a book or an insightful web site about how lottery winners in general do after their big wins? If not, it is a book that needs to be written. I’ve read before, maybe in a newspaper article, that in general lottery winners lead very happy lives. There are a few schmucks plus a few people who are just generally overwhelmed by the magnitude of money and it screws up their lives. I’ll see if I can find a cite. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/6 "2004-12-21T16:08:28Z")
Here’s an interesting response to a similar query in [Google Answers](http://www.answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=141224), with several sublinks to studies and articles: > [@](#): > > Camelot Group Plc, operator of The UK National Lottery, has released > the first ever major survey of National Lottery winners to discover > what effect the lottery really has on happiness, lifestyles and > relationships. > > The survey gives a uniquely historic insight into the lives of Lottery > winners over the last five years. I have summarized the article. > > 55% - are happier after winning > 43% - no affect on happiness > 2% - are less happy > > “The happiness of the winner is not affected by the size of his or her > win.” > > Of the 55% of winners who are happier: > 65% - claimed the reasons are improved financial security and fewer > worries > 23% - say they can buy what they want and that life is a lot easier. > > There are no negative effects on family life or friendships: > > 95% - remained married after winning > 100% - who were living with a partner prior to their win (but not > married), are still in the same relationship (whether now married or > not) > > Increased happiness of winners’ families is dependent on the size of > their relative’s win. > > 58% of winners of £250k or more state that their family is happier. > 37% of winners of £250k or less state that their family is happier. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/7 "2004-12-21T16:10:41Z")
I have no basis for this, other than intuition, but could this have been a kidnap-for-ransom gone horribly wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/8 "2004-12-21T16:20:03Z")
At this early time, it looks like probably not. > [@](#): > > [Her boyfriend’s father] Steve Crosier, in a brief conversation with reporters outside his house, said: “All I know is she OD’d and Brandon [boyfriend] freaked out.” [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/21/whittaker.granddaughter.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/12/21/whittaker.granddaughter.ap/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/9 "2004-12-21T16:52:01Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Is there a book or an insightful web site about how lottery winners in general do after their big wins? If not, it is a book that needs to be written. I read _somewhere_ that people who had problems managing money prior to winning the lottery have problems after winning the lottery. But those who were sensible about money before do OK. In other words, the lottery doesn’t change people’s nature. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/10 "2004-12-21T18:40:24Z")
The more I read about this case the madder I get. Here’s what I want to know: 1. If she accidentally OD’d, how stupid is this boyfriend of hers to think that he can just dump the body, keep quiet all this time and everyone will believe him when he tells them it was an accident? It probably _was_ an OD. But I’d be a lot more likely to believe this boy if he had called 911 on December 4th, instead of letting everyone worry until they found her body. 1. Where were the parents? The article says Brandi was living in Hurricane, and her mother lives in Beckley. That’s about 80 miles. I realize kids don’t always live with their parents, but so far there’s been no mention of her father. Maybe she was living with her grandparents? The articles I’ve read have indicated that this kid had a habit of disappearing for a few days, and that’s why Whittaker waited 5 days to report her missing. They figured she’d come back. Who gives a 17 year old that much freedom?! ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/11 "2004-12-22T00:08:25Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Is there a book or an insightful web site about how lottery winners in general do after their big wins? If not, it is a book that needs to be written. About 15-20 years ago I remember reading an article about lottery winners in Germany. The upswing was that a huge percentage of them were flat broke in about 3-5 years. Lots of idiots went out and bought 3 or more high end luxury cars and proceeded to smash them to bits after a night out drinking with their buddies. Very few of them were wise enough to invest in property or real estate, although a few invested in some businesses that failed. For the most part, it was a pretty bleak article. I think it implied that if you were an idiot before you won the money, the windfall just made you a richer idiot (albiet for only a short time before you were a poor idiot again.) But this family in W. Va has to take the cake…sounds like they were a little strange before the big win, and the money doesn’t seem to have helped them an iota. Sorry to hear about the granddaughter, but her drug overdose and wild lifestyle probably had less to do with the lottery win that simply some bad choices as a teenager…although I don’t know her background so that is just MHO. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putnam-co-wv-314-million-lottery-winners-granddaughter-found-dead/280938/12 "2004-12-24T08:21:06Z")
Well I know a few people that know Whittaker personally and it’s hard to explain why he become such a disappointment. The guy has always acted and dressed like a cowboy, gambled, drank, et cetera. But from everything I’ve heard he ran a succesful company and could have retired and lived out his life with a good degree of happiness and ease before he ever won the lottery. So the guy did party, but lots of responsible people get loose during the weekends, there’s really no reason I can see that he went off the deep end with the lottery winnings.