A Michigan man won a Club Keno lottery jackpot, but his body was discovered on a private beach several days later with a $45,000 unclaimed ticket still in his wallet.
According to ABC 12, the body of 57-year-old Gregory Jarvis was found on a private beach in Saginaw Bay on Friday, September 24. After an autopsy, it was confirmed that he drowned, but police were suspicious because of an unclaimed winning lottery ticket found in his wallet.
Jarvis attempted to cash in his lotto ticket but could not because of a social security card issue. He had another social security card being mailed to him but was found deceased before he could claim his winnings.
Jarvis frequently visited the Blue Water Inn in Caseville. "Very nice guy, he was here every day," Blue Water Inn owner Dawn Talaski told ABC 12.
Jarvis hit the jackpot on September 13 while playing the Club Keno game. "$45,000. Somebody said someone just won "The Jack," and he said, great, and someone asked him was it you and it was, so he was super excited," Talaski said.
She also mentioned that he was back at Blue Water Inn on September 19 but had not claimed the $45,000 jackpot. Talaski said the following day he didn't come into the establishment, "sometimes he's up north working, he wasn't here all week and we thought, something is wrong."
It wasn't until Friday, September 24, that his body was found near his boat. "We are thinking that he was tying up his boat, slipped and fell, hit his head, and that's where he ended up in the water, no foul play suspected," Caseville Police Chief Kyle Romzek said.
The winning lottery ticket was discovered during the police investigation, making them a little suspicious. "At first, we were concerned about it, but after the autopsy, and we interviewed people at the bar, he was well-liked around here, he was nice guy, that took it off the table," says Romzek.
Talaski said Jarvis planned to use the jackpot money to visit his dad and sister in North Carolina, but because you need a photo I.D. and a social security card to claim your winnings in Michigan, he never received the cash.
His family members now have the winning ticket.