• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Waitress who was tipped $10m winning lottery ticket ended up being sued and kidnapped before shooting her ex

Home> News> Crime

Updated 12:22 17 May 2024 GMT+1Published 12:21 17 May 2024 GMT+1

Waitress who was tipped $10m winning lottery ticket ended up being sued and kidnapped before shooting her ex

Waitress who was tipped $10m winning lottery ticket found that her win would only spark a slew of problems for years

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard Kaonga

A lottery winner’s life got turned upside down for years after what should have been the best moment of her life.

Winning the lottery is essentially a dream of anyone with money issues or people who work a job they’d rather not... so a wholeeee lot of people.

You would think if you won a couple million dollars you would be living on easy street from then on, because while money doesn’t solve every problem, there are quite a few problems that go away if you throw enough money at it.

Advert

Well, that certainly wouldn’t apply to one unfortunate waitress in Florida who had her life go through a whirlwind after winning $10m in the Florida lottery.

Tonda Dickerson ended up being sued multiple times by different parties, was kidnapped and was even forced to shoot her ex-husband.

Tonda Dickerson ended up being sued multiple times by different parties, was kidnapped and was even forced to shoot her ex-husband. (TheCrimeZone/YouTube)
Tonda Dickerson ended up being sued multiple times by different parties, was kidnapped and was even forced to shoot her ex-husband. (TheCrimeZone/YouTube)

But let’s back up and go to the beginning.

Advert

Back on March 7 in 1999, Dickerson, in her late 20s, was working as a waitress at a Grand Bay Waffle House and happened to be serving one of the regular visitors Edward Seward.

As a tip, Seward would regularly leave a lottery ticket, all normal enough.

But on this one fateful day he ended up leaving a ticket that won $10 million for Dickerson.

But the next few years would see her life spiral out of control.

Advert

Firstly, Dickerson’s colleagues took legal action against her claiming that any winnings from tickets would be shared equally among the staff, however, Dickerson believed it belonged to her.

In 1999, a jury decided against the waitress and her colleagues even claimed that she initially had a plan to share the winnings. Dickerson even turned down a settlement offer that would see her given $3 million.

She eventually appealed the decision in 2000 to Alabama Supreme Court and they reversed the decision, saying that any agreement with the Waffle House waitresses was unenforceable under Alabama law.

In 2002, Seward - yep, the man that tipped Dickerson the ticket - tried to take her to court. He claimed that the pair had an agreement she would buy him a new truck if she won, however, a Mobile County Circuit Judge threw the case out.

Advert

Dickerson’s ex husband, Stacy Martin attempted to kidnap her and repeatedly claimed he would kill her.(TheCrimeZone/YouTube)
Dickerson’s ex husband, Stacy Martin attempted to kidnap her and repeatedly claimed he would kill her.(TheCrimeZone/YouTube)

Not long after this decision, Dickerson’s ex husband, Stacy Martin, attempted to kidnap her and repeatedly claimed he would kill her as they drove to Highway 90 into Jackson County, where he took her to the boat launch at Bayou Heron.

After her phone rang, she convinced Martin to let her answer it, going into her purse to pull out a gun and shot him in the chest. After being shot, Dickerson convinced her ex to seek medical attention and the pair headed to a hospital and police were called when he arrived.

However, it is not clear whether Martin was ever charged or convicted for the kidnapping and the threats against her.

Advert

It is not clear what Dickerson is up to now, but is believed to be working a poker dealer at the Golden Nugget casino in Biloxi, according to her social media profiles.

Featured Image Credit: TheCrimeZone/YouTube
Gerrard Kaonga
Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

19 mins ago
20 mins ago
an hour ago
  • 19 mins ago

    Police claim they've solved 1980 cold case murder after first suspect wrongly spent 20 years in prison

    Katharina Reitz Brow was murdered in 1980 after being stabbed multiple times

    News
  • 20 mins ago

    Everything we know about 'Ozempic penis' as more men speak out out on their experience with it

    Ozempic penis is a top search online, and there's a reason for it

    News
  • an hour ago

    Everyone's saying the same thing after seeing how many people actually attended Trump's $45,000,000 parade

    Donald Trump attended the military parade for his 79th birthday

    News
  • an hour ago

    Chilling audio of emergency call reveals new details after two Democratic lawmakers were shot in their homes

    Lawmakers Melissa Hortman and John Hoffman were attacked on June 14 by a man who opposed abortion rights

    News
  • Woman, 76, devastated after realizing she left winning $2,500,000 lottery ticket inside jacket she donated
  • Thieves who stole credit card to buy winning $500,000 lottery ticket urged to come forward so victim can share the winnings
  • Chilling text murderer sent before shooting his ex-girlfriend while on a date
  • Waitress who was tipped lottery ticket that won $10,000,000 sparked controversy that turned into a nightmare