Lottery winner charged with murder

A North Carolina man who won $10 million on a scratch-off ticket is now behind bars, charged with murdering a young woman found dead in his hotel room. WECT's Gabbie Williams reports.

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (NBC News) — A North Carolina man who won a $10 million lottery prize nearly three years ago is now behind bars and charged with murder.

Michael Todd Hill, 52, was taken into custody in Southport Tuesday and charged with murder by the Shallotte Police Department after the body of Keonna Graham was discovered in a room at the Sure Stay Hotel around 11:30 a.m. Monday.

“She was very loved and she’s very beautiful,” said Tiffany Wilson. Wilson said Graham is her cousin’s, best friend’s, daughter. “It scares me because it’s in my circle that someone knows her and I don’t know him, but it’s in my circle that people know him. And that’s what frightens me.”

Hotel manager Vee Patel said Hill checked into the hotel, alone, on Sunday morning. Patel said none of the employees ever saw Graham. Checkout time at the hotel is 11 and once it had past the time to check out, housekeeping knocked on the room door several times. Patel said after no response, they went inside and found a girl. They realized she was unconscious and called 911.

“I think it’s horrible,” said Wilson. “I mean, he just won the lottery. I heard he just got married and you go and kill a young girl? A beautiful girl? I don’t understand.”

Read more here.