Friend of slain lottery winner charged with murder

(CNN) -- A Florida woman has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of a lottery millionaire whose body was found buried under fresh concrete, authorities said Friday night.

Dorice Donegan Moore, 37, was arrested last week on charges of accessory after the fact regarding a first-degree murder in the death of Abraham Shakespeare, 43, said Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee. She remains in the Hillsborough County Jail, he said.

Moore befriended Shakespeare after he won a $31 million Florida lottery prize in 2006 and was named a person of interest in the case after Shakespeare disappeared, authorities said.

Before her arrest, Moore proclaimed her innocence during a tearful, impromptu news conference outside her home. She said she was planning to help Shakespeare write a book about the challenges of winning millions and that she was helping him manage the money.

"Abraham had a life of drama because of the money," she told CNN affiliate WTSP. "The money was like a curse to him. And now it has become a curse to me."

Moore might have committed fraud to obtain parts of Shakespeare's fortune, and she bought lime to deal with his body and was trying to find someone to move the corpse to another location, Gee said at the time of her arrest.

Shakespeare was killed on April 6 or April 7, and Moore has admitted trying to convince Shakespeare's family members that he was still alive, Gee said.

Deputies found Shakespeare's body outside a home in Plant City in late January after receiving a tip from an associate of Moore, Gee said.

The investigation is continuing, Gee said.