Two Sad Stories

Tonight’s local news had two terribly sad stories regarding a couple “lucky” fellows who had won huge sums of money in the Powerball lotteries in years past. Dave Edwards of the Westwood area of Boyd County, KY and Jack Whittaker of Putnam County, WV were featured in the two reports. Edwards had won 22 million dollars after taxes, from the ticket he had purchased at a local convenience store. At the time Whittaker’s winning numbers were announced on Christmas Eve several years ago, his winnings were the largest Powerball jackpot up to that point. These fellows were featured on national news programs and many considered them to be the luckiest men on earth. Now, some folks may not be so sure of that.

Edwards was a character who had lived on the edge of the law up until the time of his winnings. He was well known by local law enforcement officers as a small time hoodlum. His name had been in the local papers several times regarding run ins with the law. In fact, when he went to Lexington, KY for the press conference where he would pick up his winnings, the police on outstanding warrants for delinquent child support arrested him.

After that problem was rectified, he married his girlfriend, bought a mansion in Florida and seven luxury automobiles. The Edwards’ were featured on at least one network prime time news magazine program. On that program they gave a tour of their gaudily furnished mansion, showed off his fleet of fine automobiles, and told of their world travels and spending sprees. I remember him grinning through his new dental work and boasting, “And I still have money left over!”

The news story tonight told of how the mansion has been sold at auction, he has lost his automobiles, and all of his personal belongings were sold off yesterday to satisfy creditors. His wife had a brush with the law two weeks ago in Florida and her address was listed as a Motel 6. One of the saddest parts of the story indicated that although Edwards’ whereabouts are unknown; it appeared that he had been living in the warehouse where the stuff had been stored. A number of used hypodermic needles were also found on the premises. Former neighbors in Westwood expressed their concerns for Edwards, who they believe to be in poor health now.

A real rags - to riches – to rags story.

Jack Whittaker is a very familiar and tragic figure to most of us in this area. He has been a fixture on local news broadcasts since his “lucky” day. First he gave large donations to a couple of churches. (Had to do the right thing, you know) Then there have been stories of failed business ventures and brushes with the law. He has been drugged and robbed at a Kanawha County strip club. There have been several DUI’s and he was recently arrested on the West Virginia Turnpike for driving on a revoked license. A young man once died of a drug overdose in a home owned by Whittaker. But the saddest story of them all was when his own beloved grand daughter died of an overdose in the mansion he had bought for her. Her body was not found for several days because it had been wrapped in plastic and hidden on the property by a friend who was there at the time of her death.

I couldn't help but feel pity for Mr. Whittaker as the news reporter interviewed him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he said, “I miss her so much. I would give it all if I could just have her back. She was my life.”

The TV ads for the lottery proclaim, “Good things happen when you play!”

Well, not necessarily…